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(09/28/06 2:50am)
Kanye West's first graduating class of protégés is exceeding expectations this summer. Rhymefest's Blue Collar hit stores with little anticipation in July but was highly praised by critics. Lupe Fiasco's debut album, Food & Liquor, spent the better part of 2006 having its release delayed by Internet leaks and record company disputes. In fact, anybody with BitTorrent and a general interest in hip--hop probably had half the album in May.\nFiasco's career is under intense scrutiny, and it is no wonder. His first major platform was a show-stopping verse in Kanye's "Touch the Sky." Here, he demonstrated his lyrical prowess with smooth flows and creative subject matter -- I believe he's the only artist in history to reference "Lupin III." In recent months, he has advertised himself as the emcee version of Pharrell Williams with his first single, the hip--hop-skater jam "Kick, Push."\nA Chicago native, Fiasco fits the mold of an underground emcee by spilling his soul with each word and pushing the English language to its limit in the process. He has a genuine love for music, and as a practicing Muslim, he takes a serious stance on social injustices and global affairs. "Just Might Be Ok" is one of Fiasco's most lyrically impressive tracks, allowing him to show listeners where he comes from ethically, with lyrics like, "I'm cool, I don't foretell best/I ain't nicest emcee, I ain't Cornel West/I am Cornel West side, Chi-town Rivera/Malcolm X-ercise the demons, gangsta leanin'."\nHe gets much more specific, delving into current issues with "American Terrorist." He weighs in on American-Arab and Christian-Muslim relations with striking eloquence. It will be interesting to see whether Fiasco will be able to successfully continue injecting his underground style into mainstream rap from album to album, as Kanye West has done.\nGood emcees don't just flow; they also realize the synergistic force that original beats and proper samples compel on hip-hop music. As it turns out, Fiasco got a couple of good DJs to spin behind him. Jay-Z, Kanye, Pharrell and former Da Pak member Soundtrakk were responsible for the album's production, and it goes to show that you get what you pay for. "Daydreamin'" samples I Monster's "Daydream in Blue" (which is largely a sample of another song, "Daydream") with absolute compatibility. "Daydream" has found its way into a number of songs through sampling, most notably "Squares" by the Beta Band, but it is truly the precise puzzle piece on this record.\nThere is a moment on Food & Liquor in which Fiasco's voice is drowned out by the talent around him. The burgeoning single "I Gotcha," produced by the Neptunes, samples an experimental harpsichord-esque melody that gives the song an identity crisis, only to fall flat on its face. It's apparent that Fiasco is never meant to be the showcased artist on this track.\nOverall, Fiasco manages to keep his "A Bathing Ape meets Louis Farrakhan"--style on center stage. Debut albums are the touchstone from which we judge musicians, and they almost invariably remain definitive works throughout an artist's career. Fiasco's career will always depend upon how well he can collaborate with his contemporaries - he shows on this record that he can keep up with the best in the game.
(09/28/06 2:42am)
It's hard to believe that four years have passed since the "Jackass" boys last graced movie screens with their outlandish stunts, but the boys are back, finally, with a new stable of even grosser, cruder and more death-defying gags to please their core audience. \nSince the boys' last appearance in theatres, Johnny Knoxville has fostered a modest movie career, Bam Margera made "Viva la Bam" his own and Steve-O and Chris Pontius lorded over the circus that was "WildBoyz." Neither of those shows held a candle to "Jackass," and their new movie "Jackass: Number Two" makes fans long for the glory days of the MTV series.\nA cautionary note should be afforded to those with a weak stomach because if you thought the first "Jackass" movie was nauseating at times, you're probably unprepared for the onslaught of vomit, blood, feces and horse semen in this second installment. From the first scene, involving Pontius' penis and a hungry snake, to the last skit, featuring Ehren McGhehey as a terrorist with a beard made of pubic hair, this movie must have gotten an R-rating by the skin of its teeth.\nEvery cast member takes his fair share of punishment during the course of the film, but the majority is doled out to Margera. Always the merry prankster in the first film, Bam ends up in tears not once but three times in "Number Two," and by the end credits, he pleads for there not to be a third installment. Also taking some serious punishment are Dave England and McGhehey, with the latter enduring the most intense mental gag this crew has ever pulled off. Steve-O is his usual masochistic self, squaring off with a fish hook, a beer bong, a leech and Preston Lacey's flatulence with equal abandon.\nAn obvious difference this time around is that all the primary cast members are rather well-off financially. Since 2002, most of the cast members have become millionaires, yet they're still willing to put their lives on the line for the good of the franchise. Knoxville, the richest of the bunch, comes out of the gate here as the most enthusiastic, making himself the gracious victim of an anti-personnel mine while England has an anxiety attack after watching a demonstration of the device. The only scene in the movie that falls flat is the grand finale, an homage to Hollywood musicals complete with the movie's most benign stunts.\nMost "Jackass" fans will know what to expect from "Number Two," but the intensity of much of the material here might still be surprising. If this is the last project the boys undertake together, it'll be an impressive send-off. If they choose to make a trilogy, somebody's bound to die during the filming.
(09/21/06 12:13pm)
It's no secret that I'm a huge gamer.\nAnd it's also no secret that I prefer what Nintendo and Microsoft have done with the original Xbox and Gamecube over what Sony has done.\nThe Xbox has some great exclusive action in the "Halo" and "Project Gotham Racing" series. Nintendo has the best, most creative programmers on the planet and a truly legendary library of games based on Mario and "The Legend of Zelda."\nThe Playstation 2 has a controller that I can never figure out because buttons are supposed to be labeled with letters, not symbols. With all the pink triangles and green squares, I feel like I'm digging through a box of Lucky Charms searching for a toy instead of playing a game.\nI will say this, though: "Metal Gear Solid 2" and "Final Fantasy X" are some fine movies. Notice I said movies, not games. The gameplay in recent iterations of the MGS and FF series is about as deep as navigating through DVD menus.\nWhile the PS2 is the only system I really dislike in the current generation of console gaming, it looks as if I might actually hate all of the next-gen systems equally.\nI know, I know. The dawn of a new generation is always supposed to wow us gamers with amazing new graphics and concepts that could have never been done on past consoles, but a recent round of announcements has made me sour on all three consoles for various reasons.\nAs revealed at the big annual electronics show E3 earlier this year, if you want a PS3 this holiday, it's going to set you back at least $500. That's just for the basic 20-gig hard drive model. If you want to go all out with the 60-gig HDMI enabled behemoth, it will set you back an extra $100.\nI have said many times that the blu-ray disc drive Sony is shoving into these things and forcing on the public is unnecessary, at this point (it's also one of the reasons it costs so damn much). But earlier this month, Sony announced that, because of all the fancy unnecessary technology in their big silver box, it's only shipping 400,000 units to the United States at the Nov. 17 launch.\nIf previous console launch shortages are any indication, don't be surprised if these suckers are going for $2,000 on ebay this Christmas. But look on the upside: If you're smart and pre-order a few now, you'll be able to pay off all your student loans by the end of the year!\nOn the Nintendo Wii front, I'm well past the funny name and the dozens of urine jokes. In fact, I kinda like the name. And pee jokes will never be as funny as poop jokes. Possibly because of the PS3's high price point, though, Nintendo announced last week their console with the motion-sensitive controller will launch Nov. 19 for $250.\nIt's true that's the cheapest of any next-gen console, but considering that by Nintendo's own admission the Wii is only a little more powerful than a current-gen Xbox, (which you can find new for about $150), $100 for a cool new controller seems a little steep.\nAnd if Nintendo really isn't trying to compete with Sony and Microsoft as it's said before, launching two days after the PS3 is a funny way of showing it.\nFinally, there's the Xbox 360 to consider. I bought an Xbox 360 this past summer, and with its kick ass online service, it may be my favorite system ever. But I hear rumors on the "Internets" that Microsoft is planning on shipping an updated version of the console with an HD-DVD drive built in.\nNow, I'm not exactly a technophobe. I know high definition is the future, and we'll be viewing everything in HD in a few years. It looks amazing, but it's also really, really expensive right now. And I'll be damned if I'm going to upgrade my 360 or buy the already announced external drive to play "Halo 4" on HD-DVD when I can't even afford an HDTV to really take advantage of it.\nGaming is one of my pastimes, but if this keeps up, even the cheapest new technology is enough to bust the bank.\nI'm about ready to just say screw the next generation altogether. I'm gonna go track down an NES and hook that up to my 15-inch standard definition TV and just kick it old school.\nAnyone with me?
(09/21/06 4:11am)
It's time to play everyone's favorite game: "Name that cinematic triumph!"\nWhich 1990 classic features a soundtrack nearly entirely created by a Casio synthesizer, goblin costumes made from burlap potato bags and paper mache masks and a steamy love scene in an RV overflowing with popcorn?\nIf you're one of the proud few who were able to immediately yelp, "Troll 2," then congratulations, you have mastered the art of watching bad movies. You have become one of millions around the world who unite to bask in the glory of cinematic detritus that is so bad, it's good.\nAt the time of this article's writing, "Troll 2" is currently listed as the worst movie of all time on imdb.com, the Internet Movie Database. Movie fanatics log onto the Web site and vote for both the best and worst movies ever to grace the silver screen, so to reach #1 on the Database's bottom 100 is truly an achievement whose greatness is as staggering as the abysmal quality of the films themselves.\nBut "Troll 2" isn't alone in the campy flick club. Some other "favorites" that made the bottom 100 list include "Glitter," "Gigli," "Spice World," "Baby Geniuses" and "From Justin to Kelly."\nThe musical that starred "American Idol" season 1 finalists Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini scored a 1.9 out of 10 on the Internet Movie Database, a rating that could easily be classified as "not so hot."\nOne user had this to say in a review posted about the film on the Database's message boards: "A quick note on the musical numbers: you have a mute button. Employ it LIBERALLY. Thank you."\nOr who could forget "Spice World," in which the all-girl British pop band took to the big screen?\nOne Internet Movie Database poster said: "Even the popcorn sucked! If you are as stupid as I to be hooked into a FREE showing of this movie, I would ask for a refund!"\nWhat did users have to say about "Troll 2?"\n"It is a life-changing experience, similar to the Middle Ages' trials by fire," says one reviewer. "The watching itself may be painful, but it is ultimately worth the pain to be able to say, with conviction, 'I survived 'Troll 2,' and I'm still technically alive.'"\nBut America's fascination with terrible movies is nothing new. In fact, many goers of bad movies found like-minded people starring in their very own TV show over 15 years ago, sharing and spreading the love of wretched cinema. \nIn "Mystery Science Theater 3000," cast members and puppet robots selected, as the show's theme song stated, "cheesy movies, the worst we can find" to watch in each episode. The two-hour long program, which aired on HBO, Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi Channel in the '90s and early 2000s, played movies from all eras while the cast sat through them only to subject the films to ridicule. \nA cult hit, "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (also known as "MST3K") added some of the most insufferable titles to the film buff's lexicon with its selections from American cinema's low points.\n"Manos: The Hands of Fate," for example, is a 1966 film that otherwise would have faded into oblivion if not for MST3K. The black-and-white gem features a family and its dog beingw stranded in front of a deserted house which is under the vigil of the hunchbacked and reticent "Torgo," the personal slave of a shadowy, evil cult leader that lures female passerby under his spell and into his lair.\nThe plot, supplemented by hideous acting and random free jazz sequences that would span up to five minutes during fight scenes, make "Manos" one of the most celebrated bad movies.\nAndrew Borntreger, webmaster of badmovies.org, had this to say of the "Manos" viewing experience: "If I was a goldfish and could not blink, this movie would be the death of me."\nThe bad movie craze has showed no sign of slowing down, even after "MST3K" was canceled.\nAlthough this summer's "Snakes on a Plane" scored a magnificent 7.5 on the Internet Movie Database—a score that digs out a gaping chasm between itself and the likes of "From Justin to Kelly"—it was widely known for being a campy, over-the-top horror film. \nThe Samuel L. Jackson-headlined movie made a modest $15 million at the box office, but generated enough web hype on sites like the Database to last a lifetime, not to mention receive an impressive score by the site's users and movie's fans. \nWhether its internet buzz, B-list musical artists taking up acting or simply word of mouth, movies of genuine high quality might be missing out on some potential audience members that might prefer something a little more distasteful.\nSo, have any of the movies we've mentioned sound like they might pique your interest?\nIf so, then you have officially caught the "bad movie bug." It's a pandemic that's already spread to even the IU campus.\n"Troll 2 might possibly be the worst cinematic endeavor ever captured on film," says sophomore Katie Beck. "Not only is the story line incredibly idiotic, the camera work is on par with a middle school class project and the acting is so terrible it almost makes you want to avert your eyes."\nSo what keeps people coming back to these bad movies for more?\n"It's like watching a car wreck," Beck says.
(09/21/06 4:11am)
* Editor's note: At WEEKEND we think it is important that the reviews you read each week are the best
possible. This feature, where a CD is reviewed by one writer familiar with the artist and one who isn't familiar with them, will run alongside the other reviews in the coming weeks. We hope you enjoy the diversity of opinions.
(09/21/06 4:00am)
Based on the true story of Sean Porter, 'Gridiron Gang' chronicles the workings of a detention camp probation officer who starts a football program in a youth jail. In his pursuit, Porter had to overcome disapproval from all sides: his superiors, coaches of opposing football teams, and even the community at large. Ultimate ly, his program was successful -- so much so that a documentary was made in 1992 detailing his exploits with his youth prisoner football team (Clips of the documentary are shown during the closing credits).\nInitially, there is little in the way of a plot setup. We are quickly introduced to a future inmate, Willy Withers (Jade Yorker), as he commits the crime that will lead to his incarceration. Then, within the first 10 minutes, Porter ("The Rock," doing his best motivational speaker impression), along with his co-worker Malcolm Moore (Xzibit), has assembled his football team. While the football team is the focus of the film, subplots revolve around gang feuds, personal insecurities, and inmates' interactions with the "outside."\nOne major feud involves Withers and rival gang member Kelvin Owens (David Thomas), both of whom went on to play organized football following their releases. The two hate each other at the outset, but as the team plays on and starts to develop the winning attitude that Porter instills, the two inmates instinctively begin to put the team first.\nIt is hard to say whether this film attempts to be didactic, because although it does portray the nice little message that hard work and determination can turn any criminal around, the film is almost too overtly emotional to provide any life lessons. For instance, there are countless moments when Porter goes to talk with one of his inmate players, and immediately the moving symphony music kicks on, almost too obviously. Though director Phil Joanou does well at allowing the viewer to feel for his characters, he lays it on thick. \n"Gridiron Gang" is made out to be a cross between an inspirational sports motif and a street crime drama, but it certainly leads towards the former. While it tries to mix in some humor, albeit unsuccessfully, the film will generate sentiment for any soft-at-heart. And if "The Rock" finds that his movie career is coming to an end, 'Gridiron' proves that he will have a bright future giving motivational speeches to troubled high school kids.
(09/21/06 4:00am)
George Orson Welles once said, "The enemy of art is the absence of limitations". The Mars Volta is certainly a band that knows no musical limitations. They recognize no conventions, and no image, word, note or instrument that isn't subject to its numerous artistic pursuits. The absence of limitations is the enemy of art in several cases, and when it comes to The Mars Volta, the enemy of its art is musical excess and overproduction.\nIt troubles me to admit this because I've been a fan from the start, but I've found that even among its loyal fans, there always seems to be discrepancies -- each fan interprets the music very differently. New listeners may find the music jarring or inaccessible at first, especially on this new album, but none can deny the musical talents that each band member possesses and demonstrates, as well as the dynamic forces that the band has provided on each distinct album.\nThe Mars Volta is one of two bands that spawned from At the Drive In, a band many people believed was destined to be the next big thing in rock, if not for its break up in 2001. The afro-sporting duo -- guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala formed The Mars Volta soon after At the Drive In broke up. Two years and three additional members later, the new group released its breakthrough debut, De-Loused in the Comatorium, which echoed influences from bands like Led Zeppelin and Yes to King Crimson and CAN.\nMuch of the band's music is a blend of rock that could be generally classified as progressive, featuring abstract concepts, lyrics, imagery and multilayered songs that could easily last more than 10 minutes. More significantly, they manage to achieve this while simultaneously including hints of genres such as punk, electronic, jazz and salsa. Corresponding to Omar's complex and often turbulent guitar work are Cedric's lyrics, which are sometimes delivered in Spanish, Latin or a combination of several English words, making them as obscure and surreal as the concepts they represent.\nOn the third studio album, which also features Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, The Mars Volta does it all. The pace of each song is anything but predictable, and horns and saxophones blaze like never before. The lack of song structure and the amount of instruments, percussion, notes and effects make the songs seem very busy and convoluted and overwhelming. It's much different from the other albums, which flowed much more smoothly and coherently. And, unlike the other two albums, there seems to be less of a focus on a single concept or theme.\nOmar's persistent improv-guitar solo approach to the majority of the songs replaces song variety, and while technically impressive, becomes repetitive and boring. "Vermicide" is probably the only song on the record that contains the lingering sounds of last year's album, Frances the Mute. However, comparing Mars Volta albums is like comparing apples and oranges. I suppose for me it comes down to quality over quantity. I'm not disappointed, but I'm not pleased.
(09/21/06 4:00am)
John Mayer narrowly avoided being a teen pop idol in 2001 by virtue of the fact that he actually wrote and recorded a set of great songs on Room for Squares. He distanced himself even further from the teen fandom cesspool with his sophomore album, Heavier Things, on which he matured beyond his years to deliver a truly great record. His third album, Continuum, falls somewhere between the previous two, finding Mayer's wide-eyed soul and competent lyricism both at odds and in harmony with his nearing age 30.\nFor whatever reason, Mayer decides to get political on the opener "Waiting on the World to Change." It's a mostly apathetic protest song, but he gets a few good digs in at the crossfire media and the Bush administration. It feels more like an intro than a true album opener, and the album truly kicks in with track two, where Mayer wonders whether his current girl loves him or the thought of him. This may sound like simplistic rom-com soundtrack material, but the immaculate production by Mayer and Steve Jordan, along with Mayer's own songwriting chops, make it something more relevant.\n"Belief," a track clearly inspired by his John Mayer Trio pals (drummer Steve Jordan and bassist/journeyman Pino Palladino), coaxes the album into a faster tempo for the
(09/21/06 4:00am)
The Kansas City Shuffle -- when everybody looks right, you go left. Simple enough, eh?\nWriter Jason Smilovic does a great job writing a screenplay that, without the audience's awareness, revolves around the simple technique. Touché, Jason, for scoring on your first big screenplay. With the help from director Paul McGuigan (Wicker Park), "Lucky Number Slevin" turned out to be a connect-the-dots crime thriller that, partially thanks to its all-star cast, is enjoyably entertaining. \n"Slevin" doesn't waste any time. From the very beginning of the movie, you know you're dealing with the mob; at least three people are killed within the first five minutes. Not a fan of gory murder movies? Don't worry, the movie winds down from there, but not in a bad way. At the beginning of the movie Goodkat, (played by Bruce Willis), is at a bus stop where he tells a stranger the story behind the Kansas City shuffle. The story begins by describing an event that took place in 1979, where a man is told about a fixed horse race and places a large bet. When the horse set to win had a heart attack in the middle of the race, the man is left with no money to pay off debt he owed the mob. The mob then arranges for the man, his wife, his bookie and his son to be killed. \nBack in the present day: Slevin Kelevra (Blackhawk Down's Josh Hartnett) is in town visiting his friend, Nick. The only problem is once Slevin reaches Nick's apartment, the door is open, and Nick isn't around; however, Nick's perky neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu), is, and she and Slevin immediately share an attraction. Then, while waiting for his friend, Slevin is greeted by two mob men who, believing Slevin is Nick, claim he owes money to The Boss (Morgan Freeman). Unable to convince The Boss of his real identity, Slevin is told the only way to make up for the money he owes is to kill The Boss' rival, the son of the rabbi, (Sir Ben Kingsley). Slevin agrees to fulfill this demand.\nThe ensemble cast made the movie more entertaining. Willis plays his usual assassin character, and Freeman's performance is flawless, though it isn't the toughest role ever encountered. And of course Hartnett, Kingsley, Liu, along with Stanley Tucci, are all very impressive.\nThe DVD comes with the standard extra features, including the making of the movie and commentaries. The few deleted scenes that are included with the DVD are very boring; It makes sense that they were deleted. The DVD also comes with an alternate ending, which was good, but not as satisfying as the one
(09/21/06 4:00am)
The Stella shorts are hilarious: A couple dozen absurd short films by David Wain, Michael Ian Black, and Michael Showalter, in which the three run around in suits playing with dildos, simulating gay sex, and sing and goof around. Sadly, the show couldn't capture the freshness and absurdity of the shorts. \nDuring a long documentary about the history of Stella comedy, the three stars say the studio asked them if they could be funny without all the dildo jokes prevalent in their skits. They shrug and say, "Not really." They're right. \nWhat started as a three-man stand-up routine in New York and gained steam as a series of short skits on the Internet became a half hour show on Comedy Central. Even big Stella fans like me and my friends who loved the skits avoided this show, and it was canceled after 10 episodes. \nThe creative minds behind the hilarious movie "Wet Hot American Summer" and the cult series "The State" get some laughs in Stella, but it's uneven and mostly nonsensical. \nThe pilot involves the three boys becoming homeless, wearing disguises to get their apartment back and performing open heart surgery on their landlord with a butter knife and ladle. He dies, but it's OK: We find out he was a Nazi war criminal. The boys are rewarded with a wicker basket and three months free rent. \nOther ridiculous plot points are wild and sound funny but, often, just come across as weird. The three suit-clad characters wear black face to cover up scars they got from bullies taking over their paper route. They go hunting and, Dick Cheney-style, shoot and kill the guy with whom they're hunting and eat him. \nThere are a couple strong episodes stuck in here - "Coffee Shop" and "Campaign" come to mind - but in general the series has fantastical plots that might shock, but have no real value. \nThe history of Stella documentary is interesting but runs long at 45 minutes. The bloopers are moderately funny, but the commentaries are mostly stale. \nCheck out the short films online for free at Youtube, and re-watch "Wet Hot American Summer." There's a reason it took a decade to get this show on the air. It's not worth the half hour treatment.
(09/21/06 4:00am)
It's no secret that I'm a huge gamer.\nAnd it's also no secret that I prefer what Nintendo and Microsoft have done with the original Xbox and Gamecube over what Sony has done.\nThe Xbox has some great exclusive action in the "Halo" and "Project Gotham Racing" series. Nintendo has the best, most creative programmers on the planet and a truly legendary library of games based on Mario and "The Legend of Zelda."\nThe Playstation 2 has a controller that I can never figure out because buttons are supposed to be labeled with letters, not symbols. With all the pink triangles and green squares, I feel like I'm digging through a box of Lucky Charms searching for a toy instead of playing a game.\nI will say this, though: "Metal Gear Solid 2" and "Final Fantasy X" are some fine movies. Notice I said movies, not games. The gameplay in recent iterations of the MGS and FF series is about as deep as navigating through DVD menus.\nWhile the PS2 is the only system I really dislike in the current generation of console gaming, it looks as if I might actually hate all of the next-gen systems equally.\nI know, I know. The dawn of a new generation is always supposed to wow us gamers with amazing new graphics and concepts that could have never been done on past consoles, but a recent round of announcements has made me sour on all three consoles for various reasons.\nAs revealed at the big annual electronics show E3 earlier this year, if you want a PS3 this holiday, it's going to set you back at least $500. That's just for the basic 20-gig hard drive model. If you want to go all out with the 60-gig HDMI enabled behemoth, it will set you back an extra $100.\nI have said many times that the blu-ray disc drive Sony is shoving into these things and forcing on the public is unnecessary, at this point (it's also one of the reasons it costs so damn much). But earlier this month, Sony announced that, because of all the fancy unnecessary technology in their big silver box, it's only shipping 400,000 units to the United States at the Nov. 17 launch.\nIf previous console launch shortages are any indication, don't be surprised if these suckers are going for $2,000 on ebay this Christmas. But look on the upside: If you're smart and pre-order a few now, you'll be able to pay off all your student loans by the end of the year!\nOn the Nintendo Wii front, I'm well past the funny name and the dozens of urine jokes. In fact, I kinda like the name. And pee jokes will never be as funny as poop jokes. Possibly because of the PS3's high price point, though, Nintendo announced last week their console with the motion-sensitive controller will launch Nov. 19 for $250.\nIt's true that's the cheapest of any next-gen console, but considering that by Nintendo's own admission the Wii is only a little more powerful than a current-gen Xbox, (which you can find new for about $150), $100 for a cool new controller seems a little steep.\nAnd if Nintendo really isn't trying to compete with Sony and Microsoft as it's said before, launching two days after the PS3 is a funny way of showing it.\nFinally, there's the Xbox 360 to consider. I bought an Xbox 360 this past summer, and with its kick ass online service, it may be my favorite system ever. But I hear rumors on the "Internets" that Microsoft is planning on shipping an updated version of the console with an HD-DVD drive built in.\nNow, I'm not exactly a technophobe. I know high definition is the future, and we'll be viewing everything in HD in a few years. It looks amazing, but it's also really, really expensive right now. And I'll be damned if I'm going to upgrade my 360 or buy the already announced external drive to play "Halo 4" on HD-DVD when I can't even afford an HDTV to really take advantage of it.\nGaming is one of my pastimes, but if this keeps up, even the cheapest new technology is enough to bust the bank.\nI'm about ready to just say screw the next generation altogether. I'm gonna go track down an NES and hook that up to my 15-inch standard definition TV and just kick it old school.\nAnyone with me?
(09/21/06 4:00am)
It's time to play everyone's favorite game: "Name that cinematic triumph!"\nWhich 1990 classic features a soundtrack nearly entirely created by a Casio synthesizer, goblin costumes made from burlap potato bags and paper mache masks and a steamy love scene in an RV overflowing with popcorn?\nIf you're one of the proud few who were able to immediately yelp, "Troll 2," then congratulations, you have mastered the art of watching bad movies. You have become one of millions around the world who unite to bask in the glory of cinematic detritus that is so bad, it's good.\nAt the time of this article's writing, "Troll 2" is currently listed as the worst movie of all time on imdb.com, the Internet Movie Database. Movie fanatics log onto the Web site and vote for both the best and worst movies ever to grace the silver screen, so to reach #1 on the Database's bottom 100 is truly an achievement whose greatness is as staggering as the abysmal quality of the films themselves.\nBut "Troll 2" isn't alone in the campy flick club. Some other "favorites" that made the bottom 100 list include "Glitter," "Gigli," "Spice World," "Baby Geniuses" and "From Justin to Kelly."\nThe musical that starred "American Idol" season 1 finalists Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini scored a 1.9 out of 10 on the Internet Movie Database, a rating that could easily be classified as "not so hot."\nOne user had this to say in a review posted about the film on the Database's message boards: "A quick note on the musical numbers: you have a mute button. Employ it LIBERALLY. Thank you."\nOr who could forget "Spice World," in which the all-girl British pop band took to the big screen?\nOne Internet Movie Database poster said: "Even the popcorn sucked! If you are as stupid as I to be hooked into a FREE showing of this movie, I would ask for a refund!"\nWhat did users have to say about "Troll 2?"\n"It is a life-changing experience, similar to the Middle Ages' trials by fire," says one reviewer. "The watching itself may be painful, but it is ultimately worth the pain to be able to say, with conviction, 'I survived 'Troll 2,' and I'm still technically alive.'"\nBut America's fascination with terrible movies is nothing new. In fact, many goers of bad movies found like-minded people starring in their very own TV show over 15 years ago, sharing and spreading the love of wretched cinema. \nIn "Mystery Science Theater 3000," cast members and puppet robots selected, as the show's theme song stated, "cheesy movies, the worst we can find" to watch in each episode. The two-hour long program, which aired on HBO, Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi Channel in the '90s and early 2000s, played movies from all eras while the cast sat through them only to subject the films to ridicule. \nA cult hit, "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (also known as "MST3K") added some of the most insufferable titles to the film buff's lexicon with its selections from American cinema's low points.\n"Manos: The Hands of Fate," for example, is a 1966 film that otherwise would have faded into oblivion if not for MST3K. The black-and-white gem features a family and its dog beingw stranded in front of a deserted house which is under the vigil of the hunchbacked and reticent "Torgo," the personal slave of a shadowy, evil cult leader that lures female passerby under his spell and into his lair.\nThe plot, supplemented by hideous acting and random free jazz sequences that would span up to five minutes during fight scenes, make "Manos" one of the most celebrated bad movies.\nAndrew Borntreger, webmaster of badmovies.org, had this to say of the "Manos" viewing experience: "If I was a goldfish and could not blink, this movie would be the death of me."\nThe bad movie craze has showed no sign of slowing down, even after "MST3K" was canceled.\nAlthough this summer's "Snakes on a Plane" scored a magnificent 7.5 on the Internet Movie Database—a score that digs out a gaping chasm between itself and the likes of "From Justin to Kelly"—it was widely known for being a campy, over-the-top horror film. \nThe Samuel L. Jackson-headlined movie made a modest $15 million at the box office, but generated enough web hype on sites like the Database to last a lifetime, not to mention receive an impressive score by the site's users and movie's fans. \nWhether its internet buzz, B-list musical artists taking up acting or simply word of mouth, movies of genuine high quality might be missing out on some potential audience members that might prefer something a little more distasteful.\nSo, have any of the movies we've mentioned sound like they might pique your interest?\nIf so, then you have officially caught the "bad movie bug." It's a pandemic that's already spread to even the IU campus.\n"Troll 2 might possibly be the worst cinematic endeavor ever captured on film," says sophomore Katie Beck. "Not only is the story line incredibly idiotic, the camera work is on par with a middle school class project and the acting is so terrible it almost makes you want to avert your eyes."\nSo what keeps people coming back to these bad movies for more?\n"It's like watching a car wreck," Beck says.
(09/21/06 4:00am)
- From Associated Press reports\nLOS ANGELES -- There is an irony to a movie about a little boy whonever gives up being made by a couple who themselves worked together to overcome the odds.\nThe opening this week of the animated baseball film "Everyone's Hero" marks the final project -- and message -- from Christopher and Dana Reeve, who both died during the making of the movie.\nThe film's message mirrors the final years of their lives, say those who worked with the couple. Reeve, paralyzed in a horseback riding accident, and his wife worked tirelessly to find a cure for spinal-cord injuries, always believing the actor would walk again.\n"It has a great message, which is really the philosophy that Chris and Dana Reeve had: Never give up," said actor and director Rob Reiner, whose role on this film was to voice a talking baseball. "We are getting the chance to realize Chris Reeve's last vision and dream, which is to get this message out."\nThe movie tells the story of Yankee Irving, a boy who grows up during the Depression idolizing Babe Ruth despite always striking out himself.\nThe boy is ready to quit baseball when he finds himself in possession of the legendary player's bat, and must hit the open road by himself and against all odds return the bat in time for the Babe to use it in the last game of the 1932 World Series. Along the way, Yankee learns that "no matter where life takes you, always keep swinging."\n"The fact you know it's Chris Reeve's last project, it resonates with the film," Reiner said.\nReeve died in 2004 while directing the film. His wife, who served as the film's executive producer and lent her voice to one of the characters, died in March of lung cancer before the film was finished.\nThe story began as a bedtime story that Howard Jonas of IDT Entertainment wrote for his children years ago. When he decided to make a film about the story, he said there was only one person he wanted to direct the film.\n"To me, there is no bigger hero that Christopher Reeve," Jonas said.\nAfter Reeve died, his wife encouraged the production company and others to carry on in her husband's footsteps.\n"I think what made it a lot easier was that his wife was executive producer. She, too, had that spirit," said Colin Brady, who took over as co-director of the film after Reeve's death. "It was kind of like having Christopher's blessing."\nThe movie, from IDT Entertainment and released by 20th Century Fox, owned by News Corp., underwent restructuring after an early executive screening, said Dan St. Pierre, a first-time movie director who was brought in with Brady to work on the movie.\n"We had to stop and break everything down, and rebuild the movie," he said. "The most important thing was maintaining Christopher's original theme and his original vision."\nThe restructuring, he added, was overseen by Dana Reeve. Many of the actors voicing roles signed on either gratis or at lower-than-normal scales because of the Reeves, producers said. Reeve's son, Will, also had a bit vocal role in the movie.\nNeither director ever met Reeve and relied on those who knew him, especially his wife, to help them keep his spirit alive during the production process. But when Dana Reeve died, it threw the movie into more uncertainty.\n"She passed away before we completely recorded her lines. There was some discussion about whether we wold recast her voice," Brady said. \nBut the cast and crew felt Dana Reeve was too important _ both to the production and the character _ to recast her role. To complete her lines, Brady and St. Pierre sifted through her outtakes to piece together her unfinished lines.\nThroughout the film, there are small salutes to Christopher and Dana Reeve. The movie poster features a baseball flying through the air -- much like Superman, Reeve's most famous role. In the movie, the talking baseball, Screwie, says "up, up and away," the Superman catch phrase, a she makes his own heroic gesture to help Yankee.\n"That was on very succinct nod to Christopher's legacy," Brady said.
(09/21/06 4:00am)
* Editor's note: At WEEKEND we think it is important that the reviews you read each week are the best
possible. This feature, where a CD is reviewed by one writer familiar with the artist and one who isn't familiar with them, will run alongside the other reviews in the coming weeks. We hope you enjoy the diversity of opinions.
(09/21/06 3:58am)
- From Associated Press reports\nLOS ANGELES -- There is an irony to a movie about a little boy whonever gives up being made by a couple who themselves worked together to overcome the odds.\nThe opening this week of the animated baseball film "Everyone's Hero" marks the final project -- and message -- from Christopher and Dana Reeve, who both died during the making of the movie.\nThe film's message mirrors the final years of their lives, say those who worked with the couple. Reeve, paralyzed in a horseback riding accident, and his wife worked tirelessly to find a cure for spinal-cord injuries, always believing the actor would walk again.\n"It has a great message, which is really the philosophy that Chris and Dana Reeve had: Never give up," said actor and director Rob Reiner, whose role on this film was to voice a talking baseball. "We are getting the chance to realize Chris Reeve's last vision and dream, which is to get this message out."\nThe movie tells the story of Yankee Irving, a boy who grows up during the Depression idolizing Babe Ruth despite always striking out himself.\nThe boy is ready to quit baseball when he finds himself in possession of the legendary player's bat, and must hit the open road by himself and against all odds return the bat in time for the Babe to use it in the last game of the 1932 World Series. Along the way, Yankee learns that "no matter where life takes you, always keep swinging."\n"The fact you know it's Chris Reeve's last project, it resonates with the film," Reiner said.\nReeve died in 2004 while directing the film. His wife, who served as the film's executive producer and lent her voice to one of the characters, died in March of lung cancer before the film was finished.\nThe story began as a bedtime story that Howard Jonas of IDT Entertainment wrote for his children years ago. When he decided to make a film about the story, he said there was only one person he wanted to direct the film.\n"To me, there is no bigger hero that Christopher Reeve," Jonas said.\nAfter Reeve died, his wife encouraged the production company and others to carry on in her husband's footsteps.\n"I think what made it a lot easier was that his wife was executive producer. She, too, had that spirit," said Colin Brady, who took over as co-director of the film after Reeve's death. "It was kind of like having Christopher's blessing."\nThe movie, from IDT Entertainment and released by 20th Century Fox, owned by News Corp., underwent restructuring after an early executive screening, said Dan St. Pierre, a first-time movie director who was brought in with Brady to work on the movie.\n"We had to stop and break everything down, and rebuild the movie," he said. "The most important thing was maintaining Christopher's original theme and his original vision."\nThe restructuring, he added, was overseen by Dana Reeve. Many of the actors voicing roles signed on either gratis or at lower-than-normal scales because of the Reeves, producers said. Reeve's son, Will, also had a bit vocal role in the movie.\nNeither director ever met Reeve and relied on those who knew him, especially his wife, to help them keep his spirit alive during the production process. But when Dana Reeve died, it threw the movie into more uncertainty.\n"She passed away before we completely recorded her lines. There was some discussion about whether we wold recast her voice," Brady said. \nBut the cast and crew felt Dana Reeve was too important _ both to the production and the character _ to recast her role. To complete her lines, Brady and St. Pierre sifted through her outtakes to piece together her unfinished lines.\nThroughout the film, there are small salutes to Christopher and Dana Reeve. The movie poster features a baseball flying through the air -- much like Superman, Reeve's most famous role. In the movie, the talking baseball, Screwie, says "up, up and away," the Superman catch phrase, a she makes his own heroic gesture to help Yankee.\n"That was on very succinct nod to Christopher's legacy," Brady said.
(09/21/06 3:12am)
The Stella shorts are hilarious: A couple dozen absurd short films by David Wain, Michael Ian Black, and Michael Showalter, in which the three run around in suits playing with dildos, simulating gay sex, and sing and goof around. Sadly, the show couldn't capture the freshness and absurdity of the shorts. \nDuring a long documentary about the history of Stella comedy, the three stars say the studio asked them if they could be funny without all the dildo jokes prevalent in their skits. They shrug and say, "Not really." They're right. \nWhat started as a three-man stand-up routine in New York and gained steam as a series of short skits on the Internet became a half hour show on Comedy Central. Even big Stella fans like me and my friends who loved the skits avoided this show, and it was canceled after 10 episodes. \nThe creative minds behind the hilarious movie "Wet Hot American Summer" and the cult series "The State" get some laughs in Stella, but it's uneven and mostly nonsensical. \nThe pilot involves the three boys becoming homeless, wearing disguises to get their apartment back and performing open heart surgery on their landlord with a butter knife and ladle. He dies, but it's OK: We find out he was a Nazi war criminal. The boys are rewarded with a wicker basket and three months free rent. \nOther ridiculous plot points are wild and sound funny but, often, just come across as weird. The three suit-clad characters wear black face to cover up scars they got from bullies taking over their paper route. They go hunting and, Dick Cheney-style, shoot and kill the guy with whom they're hunting and eat him. \nThere are a couple strong episodes stuck in here - "Coffee Shop" and "Campaign" come to mind - but in general the series has fantastical plots that might shock, but have no real value. \nThe history of Stella documentary is interesting but runs long at 45 minutes. The bloopers are moderately funny, but the commentaries are mostly stale. \nCheck out the short films online for free at Youtube, and re-watch "Wet Hot American Summer." There's a reason it took a decade to get this show on the air. It's not worth the half hour treatment.
(09/21/06 3:10am)
The Kansas City Shuffle -- when everybody looks right, you go left. Simple enough, eh?\nWriter Jason Smilovic does a great job writing a screenplay that, without the audience's awareness, revolves around the simple technique. Touché, Jason, for scoring on your first big screenplay. With the help from director Paul McGuigan (Wicker Park), "Lucky Number Slevin" turned out to be a connect-the-dots crime thriller that, partially thanks to its all-star cast, is enjoyably entertaining. \n"Slevin" doesn't waste any time. From the very beginning of the movie, you know you're dealing with the mob; at least three people are killed within the first five minutes. Not a fan of gory murder movies? Don't worry, the movie winds down from there, but not in a bad way. At the beginning of the movie Goodkat, (played by Bruce Willis), is at a bus stop where he tells a stranger the story behind the Kansas City shuffle. The story begins by describing an event that took place in 1979, where a man is told about a fixed horse race and places a large bet. When the horse set to win had a heart attack in the middle of the race, the man is left with no money to pay off debt he owed the mob. The mob then arranges for the man, his wife, his bookie and his son to be killed. \nBack in the present day: Slevin Kelevra (Blackhawk Down's Josh Hartnett) is in town visiting his friend, Nick. The only problem is once Slevin reaches Nick's apartment, the door is open, and Nick isn't around; however, Nick's perky neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu), is, and she and Slevin immediately share an attraction. Then, while waiting for his friend, Slevin is greeted by two mob men who, believing Slevin is Nick, claim he owes money to The Boss (Morgan Freeman). Unable to convince The Boss of his real identity, Slevin is told the only way to make up for the money he owes is to kill The Boss' rival, the son of the rabbi, (Sir Ben Kingsley). Slevin agrees to fulfill this demand.\nThe ensemble cast made the movie more entertaining. Willis plays his usual assassin character, and Freeman's performance is flawless, though it isn't the toughest role ever encountered. And of course Hartnett, Kingsley, Liu, along with Stanley Tucci, are all very impressive.\nThe DVD comes with the standard extra features, including the making of the movie and commentaries. The few deleted scenes that are included with the DVD are very boring; It makes sense that they were deleted. The DVD also comes with an alternate ending, which was good, but not as satisfying as the one
(09/21/06 3:07am)
John Mayer narrowly avoided being a teen pop idol in 2001 by virtue of the fact that he actually wrote and recorded a set of great songs on Room for Squares. He distanced himself even further from the teen fandom cesspool with his sophomore album, Heavier Things, on which he matured beyond his years to deliver a truly great record. His third album, Continuum, falls somewhere between the previous two, finding Mayer's wide-eyed soul and competent lyricism both at odds and in harmony with his nearing age 30.\nFor whatever reason, Mayer decides to get political on the opener "Waiting on the World to Change." It's a mostly apathetic protest song, but he gets a few good digs in at the crossfire media and the Bush administration. It feels more like an intro than a true album opener, and the album truly kicks in with track two, where Mayer wonders whether his current girl loves him or the thought of him. This may sound like simplistic rom-com soundtrack material, but the immaculate production by Mayer and Steve Jordan, along with Mayer's own songwriting chops, make it something more relevant.\n"Belief," a track clearly inspired by his John Mayer Trio pals (drummer Steve Jordan and bassist/journeyman Pino Palladino), coaxes the album into a faster tempo for the
(09/21/06 3:01am)
George Orson Welles once said, "The enemy of art is the absence of limitations". The Mars Volta is certainly a band that knows no musical limitations. They recognize no conventions, and no image, word, note or instrument that isn't subject to its numerous artistic pursuits. The absence of limitations is the enemy of art in several cases, and when it comes to The Mars Volta, the enemy of its art is musical excess and overproduction.\nIt troubles me to admit this because I've been a fan from the start, but I've found that even among its loyal fans, there always seems to be discrepancies -- each fan interprets the music very differently. New listeners may find the music jarring or inaccessible at first, especially on this new album, but none can deny the musical talents that each band member possesses and demonstrates, as well as the dynamic forces that the band has provided on each distinct album.\nThe Mars Volta is one of two bands that spawned from At the Drive In, a band many people believed was destined to be the next big thing in rock, if not for its break up in 2001. The afro-sporting duo -- guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala formed The Mars Volta soon after At the Drive In broke up. Two years and three additional members later, the new group released its breakthrough debut, De-Loused in the Comatorium, which echoed influences from bands like Led Zeppelin and Yes to King Crimson and CAN.\nMuch of the band's music is a blend of rock that could be generally classified as progressive, featuring abstract concepts, lyrics, imagery and multilayered songs that could easily last more than 10 minutes. More significantly, they manage to achieve this while simultaneously including hints of genres such as punk, electronic, jazz and salsa. Corresponding to Omar's complex and often turbulent guitar work are Cedric's lyrics, which are sometimes delivered in Spanish, Latin or a combination of several English words, making them as obscure and surreal as the concepts they represent.\nOn the third studio album, which also features Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, The Mars Volta does it all. The pace of each song is anything but predictable, and horns and saxophones blaze like never before. The lack of song structure and the amount of instruments, percussion, notes and effects make the songs seem very busy and convoluted and overwhelming. It's much different from the other albums, which flowed much more smoothly and coherently. And, unlike the other two albums, there seems to be less of a focus on a single concept or theme.\nOmar's persistent improv-guitar solo approach to the majority of the songs replaces song variety, and while technically impressive, becomes repetitive and boring. "Vermicide" is probably the only song on the record that contains the lingering sounds of last year's album, Frances the Mute. However, comparing Mars Volta albums is like comparing apples and oranges. I suppose for me it comes down to quality over quantity. I'm not disappointed, but I'm not pleased.
(09/21/06 2:57am)
Based on the true story of Sean Porter, 'Gridiron Gang' chronicles the workings of a detention camp probation officer who starts a football program in a youth jail. In his pursuit, Porter had to overcome disapproval from all sides: his superiors, coaches of opposing football teams, and even the community at large. Ultimate ly, his program was successful -- so much so that a documentary was made in 1992 detailing his exploits with his youth prisoner football team (Clips of the documentary are shown during the closing credits).\nInitially, there is little in the way of a plot setup. We are quickly introduced to a future inmate, Willy Withers (Jade Yorker), as he commits the crime that will lead to his incarceration. Then, within the first 10 minutes, Porter ("The Rock," doing his best motivational speaker impression), along with his co-worker Malcolm Moore (Xzibit), has assembled his football team. While the football team is the focus of the film, subplots revolve around gang feuds, personal insecurities, and inmates' interactions with the "outside."\nOne major feud involves Withers and rival gang member Kelvin Owens (David Thomas), both of whom went on to play organized football following their releases. The two hate each other at the outset, but as the team plays on and starts to develop the winning attitude that Porter instills, the two inmates instinctively begin to put the team first.\nIt is hard to say whether this film attempts to be didactic, because although it does portray the nice little message that hard work and determination can turn any criminal around, the film is almost too overtly emotional to provide any life lessons. For instance, there are countless moments when Porter goes to talk with one of his inmate players, and immediately the moving symphony music kicks on, almost too obviously. Though director Phil Joanou does well at allowing the viewer to feel for his characters, he lays it on thick. \n"Gridiron Gang" is made out to be a cross between an inspirational sports motif and a street crime drama, but it certainly leads towards the former. While it tries to mix in some humor, albeit unsuccessfully, the film will generate sentiment for any soft-at-heart. And if "The Rock" finds that his movie career is coming to an end, 'Gridiron' proves that he will have a bright future giving motivational speeches to troubled high school kids.
