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(06/14/06 9:15pm)
When I first saw "Dazed and Confused" in middle school, I didn't get it. Next came high school and a second viewing proved worthless -- boring and unfunny I remarked to a friend. As the old saying goes though, the third time is the charm as I watched "Dazed" as a double-bill alongside Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous" and somewhere it all clicked. \nRichard Linklater's "Dazed" is a massive step in the right direction considering his prior debut work, "Slacker," is about as boring as watching paint dry. It's the last day of school in May 1976 and a multitude of things must go down before the summer officially begins. The hazing of soon-to-be freshmen, kegs to be tapped and joints to be passed -- if its illegal, it's in.\nWorking with a cast of relatively unknown/indie actors, Linklater ultimately creates one of the most believable portraits of high school life coupled with historical authenticity. Jason London as Pink, the football player torn between his love of the game and love of his "loser" friends; Wiley Wiggins as Mitch, the now freshman who is finding it easier to blend in than all the others; Parker Posey as Darla, the queen bitch of the high school; and, of course, Matthew McConaughey as Wooderson, whose every line is worth quoting. \n"Dazed" has seen three DVD releases over the past couple years. If the first was a nickel and the "Flashback Edition" was a dime bag, then Criterion's 2-disc edition is the green ounce worth your greenbacks. Finally, fans are treated to the long overdue Linklater commentary track and the wait is worth it. This is clearly Linklater's favorite film as his enthusiasm rings throughout. \nThe second disc is supplemental potpourri. Audition footage, deleted scenes, on-set interviews and behind-the-scenes tidbits, if you ever wanted to feel like you were right alongside all these kids then you'll find your place here. The best extra though is "Making Dazed," a 50-minute documentary years in the making -- taking the best of the old and waiting a decade to add in the new. \nThe 72-page booklet is excellent. Full of critical appreciation and character profiles in yearbook format, fans are given a closer look at their favorite cast member. You're even treated to Linklater's personal notes to his cast regarding the era and "Dazed's" smoking soundtrack. Finally, an original Frank Kozik-designed "Dazed" poster is included for die-hards. I'm not sure why "Dazed" finally hit the right note with me. Maybe I'm older, maybe I'm a bit wiser, or perhaps it just makes me wish I was still in high school without a care in the world, man.
(06/14/06 9:14pm)
Most will know comedienne Sarah Silverman from her many Friars Club Roasts and other Comedy Central appearances. But now with her own concert film, "Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic," audiences can take in her brilliance for longer than five minutes and without having to worry about a coked-out Courtney Love running on stage. \nBe forewarned the show isn't for the easily offended, though that pretty much goes with all comedy these days. Silverman tackles all the basic taboo subjects: racism, sex (her idea of birth control is having her boyfriend "cum all over my face"), religion ("yeah the Jews killed Jesus, and you know what, I'd do it again"), AIDS ("when God gives you AIDS… make lemonaids") and corporate America (she says American Airlines post 9/11 motto should be "American Airlines: first through the towers"). Silverman has this great, rare comedic talent to be able to so nonchalantly verbalize her offensive material and still sound like an adorable, innocent, seven-year-old. It should be noted that Silverman's performance isn't just straightforward jokes and monologues. Silverman is constantly putting on an act and presenting a bubbly persona. So those looking to get to know "the real" Sarah Silverman will be disappointed (though she is much more relaxed and factual on the commentary she shares with director Liam Lynch).\nIn an attempt to prolong the film, which barely reaches an hour, a few pre-filmed music video segments interrupt the concert. While the video portions are funny, they feel a little out of place due to their infrequency and scarcity. The stage's glittery background curtain is also annoying. I'm guessing the sequenced scenery is supposed to go along with Silverman's "yay, everything's shiny" personality but it's just plain distracting. \nSpecial features include a decent behind the scenes segment, trailers and commentary (director Lynch has nothing but irritating praise for everything). Also included are Silverman's holiday music video "Give the Jew Girl Toys" and her uproarious performance in the documentary "The Aristocrats," though the scene is better when intact with the rest of that film.\nUnion Board, you guys should really try to get Silverman to come to IU. Understandably she's a big name, who's probably hard to get a hold of, but I kind of have a big crush on her now, and I may become violent if I never see her live. So for my safety and the pleasure of all students, get to work. In the meantime, watch this magical DVD.
(06/14/06 9:10pm)
One of William Faulkner's best books, "As I Lay Dying," tells the story of a family who go on a mission to bury their recently deceased mother in her hometown. The family embarks on a hard and treacherous journey through America's deep South carrying their mother's decaying body. Along the way they hit a number of snags, meet some interesting characters and face conflicts among each other. The book was riddled with the darkest of dark humor but at the same time was an honest and moving look at simple people who just want to please their mother's final wishes. Tommy Lee Jones directorial debut film, "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," is in no way an adaptation of Faulkner but would have made the brilliant American author proud nevertheless.\nMelquiades Estrada (Julio Cedillo) is a Mexican cowboy who crosses the border illegally in search of work. He is befriended by Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones), a soft-spoken, somber cowboy who sees Estrada not as a "border hopper" or "wetback," as local police officers and border patrolmen call them, but as just another caballero working in the beautiful southwest. After an unfortunate accident involving a smug and careless border patrolmen from Ohio, Mike Norton (Barry Pepper), Estrada is shot and killed.\nFueled by a promise made to Estrada to bury his body in his small Mexican hometown, Perkins kidnaps Norton and takes him on a slow and arduous horseback journey across the border with Estrada's decaying body riding with them. \n"Estrada" is a film that is all about journeys. On the surface it is about the physical journey that Norton and Perkins undergo, navigating through the rough and unforgiving Mexican desert, however, the story is truly about the emotional journeys they take inside.\nNorton is on a personal journey of accepting and understanding life in the Southwest and Mexico while Perkins' journey is gaining an understanding of his duties to his dear friend.\n"Estrada" was written by Guillermo Arriaga, a rising name in world cinema whose previous films "Amores Perros" and "21 Grams" both shared the same non-linear editing format that "Estrada" does. The film is wonderfully shot and directed proving that like so many other successful actor turned directors of the past (Clint Eastwood comes to mind) Jones has a promising career ahead of him.\nThe single disc DVD features an interesting commentary track by Jones, selected cast members and crew who all go into great detail about how the film's production went down and also commenting on the meanings behind certain scenes/characters. \nWatching "Estrada" one can't help but draw comparisons to authors like Faulkner or the more modern Cormac McCarthy or filmmakers like Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah. However, the film is unique in the fact that Lee manages to put his own personal touches in it. The film has its share of dark humor and moving scences, but above all it revels in themes of pure humanity and friendship at their finest.
(06/14/06 9:09pm)
For the past couple of years, I've struggled to find a comedy that was funny, smart and quick enough to fill the void "Seinfeld" left when it went off the air.\nAfter hugging it out, I've found it. It's a show about an up and coming actor and his group of friends. The posse consists of a paranoid micromanaging best friend, a half-brother whose clinging to his acting career like Tonya Harding clings to the lime-light, a pot smoking friend who gladly rides his friend's coattails, and an agent who is a combination between Tom Cruise and Bobby Knight.\nIf you haven't figured it out by now, the show I'm referring to is HBO's hit series "Entourage," which just released it's complete second season DVD. Most of the season is focused around the storyline of Vincent Chase, (Adrian Grenier), contemplating whether or not to star in the fictional summer blockbuster, "Aquaman."\nAttempting to convince Vince to take the part of Aquaman is Vince's agent, Ari Gold, played by Jeremy Piven. Although all the characters have their qualities, Piven seems to be the highlight of every episode. Whether it's his catchphrase, "Let's hug it out, bitch," or his berating of his openly gay secretary Lloyd, Piven will leave you in fits of laughter. \nAdding to the comedy of "Entourage" is the abundance of cameos in the second season. While there are several to choose from, the best cameo of the season goes to Val Kilmer, who plays a weed-dealing Sherpa. In one scene, the former Batman goes on a Dennis Miller-esque rant when he remarks, "The earth is moving. Did you feel that? Everything. All the time. Dimensions we can't even see. Everything is evolving. Turtle, you're a dove."\nThe only complaint about the season's DVD is the lack of special features. Unless you've been dying to hear Turtle dubbed over in French, there is only one feature to be noted. \nAlthough the features section lacks in quantity, it does make up for it in quality. "The Mark Wahlberg Sessions" is a 20-minute behind the scenes look with Wahlberg, the executive producer, as host. \nIn a casual setting, Wahlberg sits down and discusses "Entourage" with the producers, writers and actors and gives the viewer an inside look into the hilarious comedy.\nThe "Sessions" cover everything from the casting of the show to an interview with Johnny Alves, the real life Johnny Drama. Alves goes out of his way to mention that he does not, in fact, have an obsession with men's calves. \nBut the lack of features is compensated by the durability of the 14 episodes. You can watch each episode multiple times and still be entertained. Although it's hard to choose, perhaps the funniest episode of the lot is, "The Bat Mitzvah." In the episode, Vince and the boys attend Ari's daughter's Bat Mitzvah where several storylines intersect. \nAltogether, the 14 hilarious episodes and the "Wahlberg Sessions" makes the three disc DVD a worthy purchase that will leave you hugging out for more.
(06/14/06 9:04pm)
Whether you're a fan of the "alternative" genre or have even heard of "grunge," you've most likely heard of Nirvana: a band that created a genre, dabbled in others, and ultimately crushed under the weight of its own existence.\nThe first album to be released after the death of founder, Kurt Cobain, MTV Unplugged in New York featured the first live taste of the band that had become so popular in such a short time. The bare-bones quality of Unplugged actually makes it a more impressive album. The only official single to come from the album, "About A Girl," was written some six years prior to this release and offers a love song, rare in Nirvana's catalog. "I'm standing in your line/I do, hope you have the time/I do, pick a number too/I do, keep a date with you." On "Polly" Cobain brings to life a true story of a girl who was raped and tortured. He uses the rapist's perspective to illustrate the story. The girl escapes by convincing the captor to let her go, "She asked me to untie her/A chase would be nice for a few." On a cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World," the lyrics spotlight a conversation between a man and his former self. Perhaps the band heard the word, "sellout" being whispered.\nFour members of Nirvana are featured on the record including Pat Smear who had just joined the band recently. Bassist Krist Novoselic even plays some accordion on the band's rendition of The Vaselines' "Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam." Simple strumming, basic drums, funky baselines, are all mainstays in the music of Nirvana. But what makes their music transcend the basic and ordinary? Is it the crooning vocals of Cobain? The depressing lyrics about destruction? The shroud of mystery surrounding the band's demise and Cobain's suicide? Whatever the case, all critics agree that this is an exceptional album featuring Nirvana performing those "bare-bones" songs live and completely nailing them.
(06/14/06 9:04pm)
Whether you're a fan of the "alternative" genre or have even heard of "grunge," you've most likely heard of Nirvana: a band that created a genre, dabbled in others, and ultimately crushed under the weight of its own existence.\nThe first album to be released after the death of founder, Kurt Cobain, MTV Unplugged in New York featured the first live taste of the band that had become so popular in such a short time. The bare-bones quality of Unplugged actually makes it a more impressive album. The only official single to come from the album, "About A Girl," was written some six years prior to this release and offers a love song, rare in Nirvana's catalog. "I'm standing in your line/I do, hope you have the time/I do, pick a number too/I do, keep a date with you." On "Polly" Cobain brings to life a true story of a girl who was raped and tortured. He uses the rapist's perspective to illustrate the story. The girl escapes by convincing the captor to let her go, "She asked me to untie her/A chase would be nice for a few." On a cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World," the lyrics spotlight a conversation between a man and his former self. Perhaps the band heard the word, "sellout" being whispered.\nFour members of Nirvana are featured on the record including Pat Smear who had just joined the band recently. Bassist Krist Novoselic even plays some accordion on the band's rendition of The Vaselines' "Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam." Simple strumming, basic drums, funky baselines, are all mainstays in the music of Nirvana. But what makes their music transcend the basic and ordinary? Is it the crooning vocals of Cobain? The depressing lyrics about destruction? The shroud of mystery surrounding the band's demise and Cobain's suicide? Whatever the case, all critics agree that this is an exceptional album featuring Nirvana performing those "bare-bones" songs live and completely nailing them.
(06/14/06 9:00pm)
It's hard to place Phoenix in any particular category. Sure, they're a European pop band that sings in English and plays guitars, but they play a kind of affected, self-conscious soft rock that can either soothe or patronize depending on who's listening. They don't fit as a French band -- they actually write decent songs from time to time -- but there's hardly an appropriate genre with which to describe them.\nWith the backing of nightmarish ghouls like Hedi Slimane, Phoenix has recently found itself in the spotlight. "Two Young" was featured in Sophia Coppola's overwrought "Lost in Translation," and their new release It's Never Been Like That stands to be their first release to potentially score in the US market. This is, in fact, something of a big deal given that only two other French bands have recently made headway here, and all three (Phoenix, Air and Daft Punk) are from the same (inordinately affluent) suburb of Paris.\nHowever, the album rarely expands beyond being decent. "Consolation Prizes" and "Rally" manage the same jingly beat, the same happy pop chords and the same inoffensive mildness found in any palatable soft rock. It's clean, well-produced and wholly bland.\nThere are okay parts. "Sometimes in a Fall," for example, is a great song (but unfortunately it's made to last far longer than it needs to). "Courtesy Laughs" has a nice chord progression and a great rhythm, and by the end of the track, the chorus manages a jarring, unexpected excitement. Fans of the Strokes will sense a lot of common ground in the songwriting style (and, however inadvertently, the faux-dreamy ESL lyrics seem comparable to Julian Casablancas' slurred-speech cocaine rambles). At the end of the day, it's all mildly interesting.\nStill, the comparison with the Strokes is entirely fitting, because in all truth Phoenix is trying to play their mellow cousins. This is their best album so far, but it's still such familiar territory that it's hard to distinguish this from anything off of United or Alphabetical. Songs like "North," a wholly boring instrumental, are just unnecessary.\nI'm culturally biased, but I struggle to understand why Americans care about Phoenix when there's a wealth of good Gallic music out there. Maybe it's the skinny ties, but if I didn't know any better, I'd think this was music made by a young, more emasculated Phil Collins; no name-dropping by frumpy cineastes and emaciated ephebophiles can ever salvage that.
(06/14/06 8:53pm)
Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not exactly sure what happened. Yet again, one of my favorite bands has been kidnapped to the dark side: major-label success. Not that being on a major label is bad; Nine Inch Nails (another one of my favs) is on this very same label (Interscope). But AFI's newest outing, Decemberunderground, just has me shaking my head the same way I did when Green Day came out with American Idiot two years ago. This is AFI's 10th release (7 full-lengths, 2 EPs, and a compilation). Three years have passed since Sing the Sorrow, and as I anticipated another great album, I was let down, and embarrassed by Decemberunderground.\nNow, don't get me wrong. I loved Sing The Sorrow, and it was all over MTV, Hot Topic and anywhere where 13-year-olds could get their hands on it. But this album is just plain hideous. It starts out like some cheesy '80s Depeche Mode song. In fact, the whole disc has a very 80's feel to it. I liked AFI when they were more punk and sounded like the Misfits rather than the Cure. "December" is way overproduced, and the gothy synth and the cheesy morbid lyrics are just laughable. "Miss Murder", the first single, makes me want to punch babies. That's right, punch babies. On "Summer Shudder", the phrase "Under the summer rain I burnt away. Under the summer rain (burn!) we burnt away", is repeated over and over and over and over again. As if this were supposed to be important. \nThe only songs on the CD that I found to be any good whatsoever were the ones where Davey Havok screamed. So that would be "Kill Caustic", "Affliction" and "Endlessly, She Said". But most of the songs are a lot slower than what AFI is known for (those that listened to them back when they were on Nitro Records). What made Sing the Sorrow great was the combination of the fast punk, hardcore screaming and melodic soberness. Davey Havok has a great voice, both screaming and singing. But on Decemberunderground, screaming takes a back seat and the balance is toppled by singing, and it would be OK if it weren't for the horrendous lyrics. This album is the soundtrack to the lives of kids that get dropped off by their parents at the mall and loiter in Hot Topic, then proceed to play Dance Dance Revolution in the arcade.\nYes, this is a change for AFI. No, I'm not opposed to change, but it's obvious that they are trying to write songs for the 13 year old crowd. When I was 13 I was listening to Rage Against The Machine and Nine Inch Nails. It's only a matter of time before AFI puts out another album of garbage. I think I'm going to retire from AFI, and go listen to Black Sails in the Sunset and remember the good old days when punk was punk.
(06/14/06 8:35pm)
It's often said that music has the incredible power to unite and heal people. If this is true (which I do believe it is), then America and especially those affected by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina can use as much of it as they can get. With the release of The River In Reverse, New Orleans R&B great Allen Toussaint and British rocker Elvis Costello have brought together the best of two legendary, yet different careers to create an album rich in classic Louisiana flavor.\nThe idea for a collaboration between these two seasoned music veterans came after they performed together in a benefit concert for Katrina victims held at Madison Square Garden last September. Initially the album would be a journey through Toussaint's rich songbook, but after the two began playing together several new tracks were written, including the title track written solely by Costello.\nAlthough the album contains many of Toussaint's classic songs, overall it is quite an equal partnership and both artists bring many of their own players to the sessions. A melting pot of talent, the album features Costello's band, the Imposters, and The Crescent City Horns, frequent collaborators with Toussaint. \nThe authentic New Orleans feel is provided by the powerful presence of the R&B master Allen Toussaint. One of the most influential musical figures to come out of New Orleans, Toussaint has been writing, recording and producing since the 1950s; composing hits for numerous artists including Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas and Labelle.\nCostello's true admiration for this living legend is apparent in his careful, yet soulful renditions of some of Toussaint's shining achievements. The distinctive vocal styling of Costello breathes new life into many of Toussaint's timeless recordings including the moving "Freedom For The Stallion" and "On The Way Down." Toussaint takes lead vocals on "Who's Gonna Help Bother Get Further," proving the talented ability of his often underrated voice. \nEven though seven of the tracks were written by Toussaint in the 60s and 70s, many of the songs take on a new meaning in the context of Hurricane Katrina. Songs like "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further" with the lines "What happened to the Liberty Bell I heard so much about?/Did it really ding-dong?/It must have dinged wrong/It didn't ding long" are surprisingly as relevant today as when Toussaint first wrote them.\nThe accompanying DVD chronicles the making of this landmark album and includes studio footage and candid interviews with both Toussaint and Costello as well as producer Joe Henry. The gravity of the Katrina aftermath becomes real as Costello and New Orleans native Toussaint travel to the devastated city to finish the recording. In between live studio footage, Toussaint speaks openly of his love for the city and its significance in his life and in his music.\nOverall, The River In Reverse attempts, in a modest way, to symbolically reverse the emotional damage Katrina left behind by paying tribute to the rich musical history of the eclectic city of New Orleans. Both artists bring the trademarks of their rich careers to the table and in the end create an album that exudes a truly genuine New Orleans R&B feel while at the same time incorporating a fresh rock sound that gives the music an even broader appeal. If music truly heals, then Toussaint, with the assistance of Costello, has done his part in helping to rebuild the city he loves so dearly.
(06/14/06 8:31pm)
For over 30 years, the radio broadcast of "A Prairie Home Companion" has thrilled listeners with its folk charm and Midwestern witticisms. The show's host, Garrison Keillor, weaves comic tales of frigid Lutherans, hard-boiled gumshoes and powdermilk biscuits that are touching in their sentimentality. Every Saturday evening, he relates news from the fictional town of Lake Wobegon, "where the women are strong, the men are good looking and all the children are above average."\nFor fans of the show, watching the movie version of "A Prairie Home Companion" is like sitting down for coffee with an old friend. This intimacy should not discourage those who are unfamiliar with the radio broadcast. There is a welcome feeling of warm authenticity about the movie. It is a film that explores the relationship between host, crew and performer, both backstage and onstage, as they struggle with the dying medium of the radio variety show. It's not about the real-to-life radio show, but rather a semi-mythical counterpart that borrows the well-loved Fitzgerald Theater for one final performance before the axe falls and the building is demolished.\nThe fictional mainstays of the radio show are worked in seamlessly among the authentic radio personalities. The star-studded cast is entirely believable and equally capable of evoking laughter and nostalgia. Kevin Kline does a fantastic job of translating Guy Noir's verbal slapstick into onstage physical humor. Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly give a memorable performance as Dusty and Lefty, cowboy musicians who croon lyrics such as "Liquor she said, and liquor I did, and I don't work there any more." These humorous songs punctuate a rich sound track of American folk - a defining feature of the radio show. \nThere is an underlying surrealism to the movie, a morbidity that reflects the occasionally somber absurdity of the radio production. The inclusion of the character of Chuck Akers appears to be a tribute to the real life Chet Atkins, who was a frequent guest to the show before his death in 2001. His character is reaped by an angelic visitor, leaving Keillor to advocate the immortal nature of radio personalities and explain to the grief-struck crew how the show must go on.\n"A Prairie Home Companion" will fail to hold the attention of the Hollywood demographic addicted to overblown comedy and hyperactive ultraviolence. "Kill Bill" it ain't. However, it will profoundly resonate with those movie-goers inducted into the world of folk music and comic Americana by movies like "Oh Brother Where Art Thou." Best of all, there is already a sequel in the works - so to speak. Garrison Keillor and "A Prairie Home Companion" will be performing live at the Indiana University Auditorium on February 1st, 2007.
(06/14/06 8:28pm)
Get ready for a ride in the fast lane, and be prepared, you might want to fasten your seat belt. Disney and Pixar have collaborated again and, once more, it's a success. Director John Lasseter (Toy Story) has come together with the writers from "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles" to create another classic, "Cars." The story, told from the point of view of cars as if they were people, centers on a rookie race car, Lightning McQueen (voiced by funny-man Owen Wilson). McQueen races for the first time in the Piston Cup, much like the Indy 500, and ends the race in a three-way tie. The officials come to the conclusion that there will be another race held in California.\nWhile being driven across country, Lightning accidentally dozes off and is ejected from the truck. Trying to catch up with his truck, Lightning ends up in the forgotten town of Radiator Springs. There, Lightning is punished for speeding (while he was trying to catch up with his truck) and tearing up the roads. He is required to repave the roads before he is allowed to leave for California. It is in Radiator Springs where Lightning meets a bunch of misfits who all have a heart of gold. He befriends Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) and begins to fall for Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt), a Porsche who is also a hotshot lawyer. \nDuring his time spent in Radiator Springs, McQueen's outlook on life begins to change. He is able to learn a lot from Doc Hudson (voiced by actor and race car driver Paul Newman), Doc is the man in charge of the town, and there seems to be something mysterious about him that makes him resent Lightning. Maybe it is that Doc secretly used to be one of the fastest racing cars, and champion of three Piston Cups until a bad accident. Doc tries to teach Lightning that it's not all about winning. As his work is finished, Lightning heads off to California. During the race of his dreams, he isn't so much focused on winning as he is remembering the people he left behind in Radiator Springs.\nThe movie was very cute, yet it was no "Finding Nemo". "Cars" biggest strength was its great cast of voices and its unique vantage point. Being a movie geared towards children, it seems to be less suitable for youngsters than I thought. At almost two hours, I thought it was too long for kids (a majority of the theatre was populated with kids that became very antsy). There were also a lot of jokes that mostly likely went way over the younger crowd's heads, and were only understood by adults. Still, "Cars" is still a good movie that will keep both children and adults entertained.
(06/14/06 8:24pm)
Raise your hand if you'd like to see Mia Farrow get run over by a car. Oh, do I have a movie for you. Even if it fails in everything else, "The Omen" still knows how to kill off its characters.\nAnd to be honest, it doesn't fail outright. It's just, you know, bland.\nI've never been impressed with this franchise of films, and not surprisingly, this remake of the widely-acknowledged 1976 horror classic of the same name didn't strike me either. Something was missing from the first version. This take of "The Omen" has everything you'd expect it to have: malevolent children, religious iconography, Mia Farrow's violent death. But it suffers from the same problems the original did. It doesn't make us believe the characters move with purpose, and without that, it's just treading water, moving us from scene to occasionally-gruesome scene. \nApparently, a lot of people don't see it that way, or were amused by the film's 6-6-06 release date; the show I went to sold out and I ended up with my ass in a booster seat in the back of the theatre. But ticket sales do not a good movie make. Shit, Tom Cruise sells tickets. And he sucks.\nBut let's stay focused. Let's talk specifics. Let's talk direction. John Moore's years of making commercials have paid off, and as such, his movie looks good. His actors, specifically Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles, handle the material they're provided. They look competently stunned when one or another of them dies at the hands of the devil, and appear sufficiently crazy (seriously, Mia Farrow vs. the car is hilarious) when necessary. However, what they're provided with is never very good. There isn't enough development in the characters to truly buy what Moore is trying to sell. And try as it might, Farrow's satanic freak-out isn't unintentionally funny enough to enjoy "The Omen" on laughs alone. \nWhat you're left with then are the paced scenes of violence. Character actor Pete Postlethwaite is introduced to the business end of a heavy steel rod, and David Thewlis shows us what a gaping neck wound looks like. And, in case I haven't mentioned it yet, Mia Farrow gets run over by a car. But it's all just traveling tired ground. "The Omen" was a flawed movie when it came out 30 years ago, and they didn't do anything to fix it the second time around. So skip it, or just watch the old one on video. Or pay eight dollars to watch Mia Farrow get hit by a car. It's a toss-up.
(06/14/06 8:21pm)
I've been a fan of "The Sopranos" for quite some time now. It paved roads for so many other series like it and in many ways redefined how Americans watch television series. When it first hit the scene it was unlike anything people had seen. The writing was sly and top notch, the acting was phenomenal (especially considering most players were unknowns), the show had a comforting dark sense of humor, was as gritty and raw as a Scorsese film and at the same time acted as a vehicle for deeper issues that make for good drama such as redemption, love, loyalty and above all the role of family.\nThe first three seasons were unparalleled, each one brilliantly different and unique. The fourth season lacked at times but was ultimately rewarding in its final four episodes. The fifth season was a breath of fresh air for hardcore fans as it opened up a number of new conflicts and side stories, while also introducing us to a slew of new brilliant characters (Steve Buscemi's performance alone was worth the countless Sunday nights of devotion). This brings us to season six, which concluded its jaded twelve episode run two Sundays ago. \nAnyone familiar with the show's history will know that creator David Chase originally planned on finishing up the series with a post season five, eight episode mini season. After what I can only imagine was pressure from HBO execs for more, the crew decided to film a 12 episode six season that would be followed by the final eight episodes. The result was a season that seemed more like a drawn out, uneventful prelude to Chase's original, most likely out of this world, final eight chapters in this American television epic. Season six started out strong with a killer first episode cliffhanger that showed Tony at his most vulnerable. The first few episodes featured arising storylines regarding power struggles not only between the New York and New Jersey families, but also inside the Jersey family. Eventually though things got back to normal and most events that took place during the initial episodes suddenly became insignificant (anyone remember Paulie deliberately going against Tony's wishes during the unfortunate beating of a crew boat rower)? \nChase took an interesting route this season essentially banking on one major storyline regarding a fairly minor character, Vito Spatafore, who is exposed as a homosexual and runs away to "Cozyville" New England to seek out a new life and the world's best Johnny Cakes. The Vito saga, or "Brokeback Vito" as I've heard it called, could have been something brilliant, but somehow managed to be the worst major storyline in "Soprano's" history. \nSeason five had briefly introduced the closeted Vito with a tense storyline revolving Meadow's fiancé Finn discovering his little secret and fearing for his safety. This aspect of the plot was pretty much dropped entirely in season six. Instead the Vito saga ultimately was nothing more than a fairly mundane character study about one man's forced need to reevaluate his life, battle what he believed were inner demons and learn the basics of noble and studly voluntary firefighting. \nThe Vito chapter had its highs and lows and all along had promising moments, however, all possible chances of something brilliant coming out of it were scrapped during Vito's unfortunate, but fairly unintriguing culmination. \nThe main problem with season six is that it tried to tackle more storylines and character developments than it could actually handle. The beauty of the first three seasons of the show was that, although the show always featured hundreds of minor characters and intricate, often complicated plots, we were always given a deep and intimate look at the main characters. Season six opened up a lot of doors and explored many different characters, however, I can't help but feel that much of what happened this season will be insignificant or forgotten in the long run. As my friend Billy said towards the end of the season, "you could probably skip season six all together and still be able to comprehend what will happen in the final eight."\nWhile there were some strong moments, the sixth season was ultimately quite disappointing compared to previous chapters in "The Soprano's" extensive history. This disappointment combined with the recent announcement that "Deadwood," HBO's other brilliant show, will not return after its third and final season, and with the final eight "Sopranos" episodes airing supposedly in early 2007, one can't help but wonder what the future holds for HBO.\nThe opening to "The Sopranos'" sixth season had the worst ratings since its second season aired back in 2000. Other new HBO shows like "Rome" or the recent "Big Love" garnered some critical acclaim but most likely will never be able to the top brilliant predecessors like "The Sopranos," "Six Feet Under," and now "Deadwood." While I will no doubt tune in for the final eight Sopranos episodes and hope that David Chase makes up for a lousy filler season, I can't help but worry for HBO's uncertain future and hope that, like "Six Feet Under" which wrapped up its series beautifully, David Chase's coveted final eight episodes will blow us away the same way he did back when the show first premiered.
(06/14/06 7:21pm)
Bloomington is known around the state of Indiana as a cornucopia of progressive public policy, sustainability-minded citizenry, nature-loving recreation, the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival and the home of Indiana University among others. \nBut Bloomington might never taste so good to so many people as the city will this weekend. \nHoosiers of all mishmashes are invited to attend the 24th Annual Taste of Bloomington from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Showers Commons, 7th and Morton St., next to City Hall. About 40 local restaurants, cafes and watering holes will offer community members a hodgepodge of local cuisine and brew to tickle the mind, titillate the belly and tantalize the soul.\n"The Taste of Bloomington promotes a festival atmosphere in the downtown area and it highlights the types of restaurants the city offers," said Bloomington resident Talisha Coppock, executive director of Downtown Bloomington Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of the city center. "It's kind of a once in a lifetime experience while people are here in Bloomington. You really get to know the Bloomington community through this event."\nCommunity Heart\nAbout half of the 40 food vendors represented at the Taste of Bloomington this year are first timers, and the local and national-chain restaurants present at the event will offer a wide variety of local, national and international edible treats from finger foods to sandwiches to slices of pizza pie. Community members can also sample an array of sugary beverages, coffee drinks, beer and wine.\nBloomington resident Ron Stanhouse, president of the Bloomington Area Restaurant Association and a member of "The Taste" organizing committee, said one of the most enjoyable aspects of the Taste of Bloomington is the laid-back environment and peaceful Southern-Indiana pace of both visitors and businesses. \n"In the local restaurant business it's all about getting through the spring school semester with a crescendo during graduation weekend. After that we get a break," he said. "Business isn't slow but it's a different kind of activity level -- steady and predictable. The Taste of Bloomington is a great time to catch our breath and have a lot of fun."\nStanhouse said an added bonus to interactive customer service during the Taste of Bloomington is the opportunity for local business owners to mingle amongst themselves, an activity they often do not have a chance to do because of the hectic nature of the food service business. He said the lack of menu items at the event, when compared to the daily menu offerings back at their respective restaurants, enables the restaurant staff to better focus on the customers and to really stress the fun aspects of their jobs.\n"Many times the atmosphere of a high volume restaurant, especially behind closed doors, is high stress and high pace. You don't see the competition for the customer dollar like you might expect in the newspaper ads shouting for attention," Stanhouse said. "You don't get that at the Taste of Bloomington. It's fun, casual and everyone is having a good time sampling the foods. Maybe the customers will think that is the way all the restaurants in town are."\nTickets to the Taste of Bloomington cost $5 per person, all food items are priced at $3 or less and a portion of the proceeds benefits the Hoosier Hills Food Bank and the Community Kitchen of Monroe County. Children under 12 can attend for free.\nCommunity Spirit\nAlso known around Southern Indiana as "The Taste," Coppock said community members often consider the event a chance to reunite with old friends and an excuse to meet new friends in the heart of downtown Bloomington. She said an array of wonderful eateries and taverns call Bloomington home, and "The Taste" is a great opportunity for new businesses to sample their foods and established restaurants to market new menu items.\nCommunity members attending the international feast and local merrymaking can also expect to hear the melodic and soothing sounds of five local bands from beginning to end. Other entertainment and often the highlight of community spirit during the event is the Waiter/Waitress Race scheduled from 4 to 4:30 p.m. \nAbout a dozen teams consisting of four waiters and waitresses from the same local restaurants are expected to participate in the Waiter/Waitress Race, in which individual team members must balance a tray containing goblets of water as they weave through an obstacle course of cones without spilling the glassware off the tray. \nStanhouse, who is owner of the local Crazy Horse restaurant, said his team of community member servers trains for the Waiter/Waitress Race every night during work after they clock-in for their shift. \n"At the Crazy Horse there are some long distances for servers to travel. From one end of the restaurant to the patio is quite a long way to go and occasionally we have a casualty -- a drink that didn't stay on the tray," he said. "It takes a little bit of luck mixed with steady hands, gape of walk and turning angle. It's all about how they balance their tray. It comes down to the wrist."\nStanhouse said the decimal level of "The Taste" crowd rackets up from a murmur to a roar during the Waiter/Waitress Race due to screaming spectators, hollering team members and the yelling of a play-by-play commentator. He said a fast lap through the obstacle course is similar to walking a balance beam: too much concentration can be bad.\n"It's fun to watch the eyes of the participants and to wonder 'what the heck are they focusing on," Stanhouse said. "Certainly they are focusing on the tray, but there are plenty of distractions there … Whether (the Crazy Horse) team wins or loses, we just want to have fun doing it."\nCommunity Soul\nMore than 6,500 community members are expected to attend "The Taste" this weekend, helping to make Saturday the biggest shopping day in downtown Bloomington all year. Hoosiers are also invited to attend the local Farmers Market from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Showers Plaza, before perusing the 26th Annual Art Fair on the Square from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the lawn of the downtown courthouse. \nCommunity members can mingle with about 40 Farmers Market vendors and browse about 30 art and craft booths before, during or after visiting "The Taste." More than 500 volunteers \nand other city staff are charged with running Saturday's events in the hope of putting Bloomington's best foot forward.\nJeff Baird, volunteer chairman for the Taste of Bloomington, said volunteers consist of community members from all walks of life: from young and old to students and professional people.\n"These people are all taking their free time to donate to do this work, which is a wonderful thing," he said. "It gives you a good feeling to help other people. You get to work and have fun. You meet a lot of people that way."\nBaird said community members, especially students, who have never attended "The Taste" should not feel intimidated about attending any of the Bloomington events in downtown this weekend. He said most any one, including students, are welcome to volunteer their time and services to help make "The Taste" a statewide snacking destination similar to the taste of Chicago event.\n"We welcome students and I think they will have a great time," Baird said. "It's like any other 'taste' in any other city. It's essentially an outdoor festival. A lot of people go and meet people and see people they don't usually see everyday"
(06/14/06 6:29pm)
"You people have had enough. It's time to get funky," lead singer and bare-footed band-leader Josh Suhrheinrich said to the crowd at Uncle Festers last Thursday. His power trio, Boomerang Farm, then launched into an eight minute funky song at their third weekly gig, which will continue all summer long at Festers with a five dollar cover.\nAfter touring the United States and Canada with San Francisco's progressive funk-rock fusion quartet Global Funk, Suhrheinrich found himself in Bloomington. He looked up his old playing buddy, bassist Jeremy Allen, who was back in Bloomington as well after some time in New York.\n"Josh called me and said we should start playing again," Allen said. "It's been good. He has a lot of experience traveling and handling the business side."\nAllen, who is working on his PHD in musicology at the Jacobs School of Music at IU, said the first week was sparsely attended. He and Suhrheinrich attributed word of mouth to the big fan increase at the second show. \n"The crowd was really into it last week," Suhrheinrich said. "People told me they're going to keep coming back. Boomerang Farm connotes work in progress. It's a building process where music can evolve and change each week."\nThere are three drummers in the Farm which will share playing time after the dismissal of the previous drummer over internal band conflicts. The previous drummer found that the little Buddha the band keeps on stage interfered with his religious beliefs and the Farm had to let him go.\nTerrance Dennie, recent IU grad and rhythm section coach at Neal Marshall Center music camp, made his first appearance on drums with the band last Thursday. His R&B and soul background provided an interesting sound to the mix. He practiced with the band the day of, and was pleased with the results despite apprehension from the band on only having a day to prepare.\n"There's only so much you can do the day of," Dennie said. "We're still gonna go out and do our thing though."\nThe Power trio comes from different backgrounds and styles, but fuse together to produce a unique sound. Allen said his bass parts are jazz and funk based and largely improvised. His influences like Bootsy Collins and Paul Jackson who played with Parliament Funkadelic and Herbie Hancock show his versatility in taste and background. \nBoomerang Farm plans on playing mostly original songs with complicated rhythm parts, but was forced to play more covers the first few weeks as the band learns to play together. \n"The covers help the audience," Suhrheinrich said. "To throw them a bone, something they're familiar with to hold on to."\nResponse was strong from the crowd with many dancing and getting down to the farm.\n"They're good funk fusion," said Bloomington resident Noel Niehaus. \n"I love this bassist. He walks."\n"I've known Josh for years and this is the best I've heard him play," said IU graduate Ron Kadish who played with Suhrheinrich in jazz ensembles years ago.\nSuhrheinrich was pleased with Dennie's first showing on drums and learned at rehearsal that Dennie doesn't even consider himself a drummer, having focused on piano and keyboard most of his life.\n"Terrance told me he has cousins that are better drummers than he is, but I thought he sounded great," Suhrheinrich said. "He has a really good ear and he had a feel for what we were doing."\nThere are plans to make a CD at Farm Fresh Studios before the summers over. Suhrheinrich runs the bands business end from booking to recording.\nA 10-month old baby and a dedicated wife have Suhrheinrich feeling the strength to follow his musical dreams with the support of his family.\n"I've worked out a balance looking after the little guy and playing gigs, Suhrheinrich said." "Tonight my wife is at the show and I've got my parents looking after him. It's really helpful to have them around. I love spending time with my son, but sometimes I have to say, OK- this is daddy's music day."\nOne of Boomerang Farm's biggest fans is Suhrheinrich's wife, Sabra Wright, who can be seen dancing at their shows and is responsible for the elaborate set design. Her work includes fuzzy mats and mushrooms, colored hanging boomerangs, and a mini Buddha which liven up the set. \nWright met Suhrheinrich when he was touring with Global Funk in Canada. Wright said she met the band after the show when she was looking for her dog and said should stay and extra day and see all that Canada had to offer. The next morning their drummer said, 'let's call that girl up.' She took them on a hike; made them dinner and said her relationship with Suhrheinrich just took off from there.\n"I guess I'm kind of like Yoko," Wright said. The band broke up and we had a kid, but it's been great. Boomerang Farm is about returning to something. I think having a family has given him a chance to do what he wants- growing something that we believe in."\nWright said Suhrheinrich's sound has evolved a lot over the years as his tastes changed, but that he has been striving to do the music he wants instead of compromising his vision.\n"Originally Josh started out loving Hendrix and Clapton and the guitar gods," Wright Said. "As he got more into jazz and blues he developed his own sound. They do stuff I can really dance to."\nBloomington resident Jim Fischer had a simpler explanation of the band saying solely, "That's some funky shit." \nSuhrheinrich plans to move to San Francisco at the end of the summer, so Boomerang Farm's shelf life is limited to these weekly gigs. Josh said he has been writing some of his best songs recently with the lyrics of a song he played Thursday invoking the spirit of the band.\n"Won't you take us to boomerang farm? The boogie will do you no harm"
(06/09/06 3:16pm)
Bloomington car lovers don't need Xzibit to pimp their rides. They do it themselves. Ten-switch hydraulics, custom paint and window designs, crushed velvet interior and enough bass to wake up Martinsville are featured in rides pimped right here in Bloomington. \nFor more than 10 years, members of Bloomington car club, "The Player$," have been traveling to car shows to show off their rides. Many of them have been obsessed with cars their whole lives, buying their first show car at age 16. The love of bikes started at age five for Doug Smith, 26, manager of Ackerman Auto Detail who rode dirt bikes before he could get a street bike. \nAckerman Auto Detail and Shakespearience Car Audio are stationed next to each other on North Jackson Street, near 17th street, to pimp Bloomington's rides. Shakespearience Car Audio provides amps, security systems, remote start and CD changers in addition to speakers, and Ackerman's flyer advertises itself as complete reconditioning specialists who do interior and exterior detailing. \nBloomington resident Brian Clarke has spent the last decade transforming his '94 Mitsubishi Eclipse into Vegas on wheels. A thorough, vivid paint job on the hood depicts his car on the Vegas strip in front of the fictional "Player$ Hotel" with great detail. Almost every inch of the car is decked out in the Vegas theme, with dice and cards etched into the windows by Visual Alterations' Chris White, who also did the vibrant paint work. The newest addition is a shamrock cut out of canvas on the rear window. \nIt was no surprise that Clarke's self-made, crushed velvet dice design won the trophy for best interior at Phi Kappa Sigma's philanthropy event. The green and black velvet puffs out of the car as it thumps chest-rattling bass and rocks 10 different ways with its custom hydraulics. \nClarke says the car doesn't ride that smoothly because of all the work he has put into it, but loves the way it looks. \n"I've been adding to it whenever I can," Clarke says. "I've been in over 100 shows and I think the car is finally just how I want it." \nEager to get the car back on the road after having been in storage all summer, he blasts the sound system to deafening levels. With two 12-inch subwoofers and two Rockford amps from Shakespearience Car Audio, the car is rocking even when the 10-switch hydraulic system is off. \nBloomington's audio guru Joe Richards, 29, who manages Shakespearience Sound, has given his car the pimping it deserves. His white 1971 Chevy Impala Custom has truly become customized since Richards started work on it when he was 16. A 10-switch, four-pump hydraulic system bounces on wide white wall tires, which he says make the car just right. \nHe used his audio expertise to hook up two 15" subwoofers, two amps and four other speakers hidden throughout the black swirl velvet interior. Richards did all of the paint, stereo and hydraulic work on the Impala himself and says he drives the ride as much as possible. He's had the car for 13 years, and has won a number of awards despite only showing it for three years. \nRichards estimates they do custom work on one car a week at Shakespearience Sound. Just last week he did custom sub and amp work on a Subaru STI and a Mercedes AMG. He enjoys restoring cars so much he plans to completely redo his seemingly perfect Impala this winter. \n"I'm ready for something new," Richards says. "I'm always looking for a new challenge." \nDetailing in Bloomington is fairly common. Smith says they do over 40 details a week in the summer and had a stretch of eight months where they did 500 jobs. \nSmith brought his '03 Suzuki 750 yellow motorcycle to the show and popped wheelies and raced up and down the parking lot, exciting spectators. The thrill of the crotch rocket comes with a couple of setbacks though. Smith says he has had to go to defensive driving class four times and has had driving privileges suspended three times. He wasn't even caught cruising at top speed, claiming he has peaked at 150 M.P.H. \nIU students are part of the "ride pimping" as well. Freshman Neil Mohan has been working on the audio for his 2002 black BMW car for two and a half years. He has created a dynamic sound system, with two 12-inch aluminum subs and 14 speakers all together. \nWhile Richards and Clarke are concerned with flair, Larry Wells is more concerned with what's under the hood. His yellow 1966 Chevelle Super Sport won best in show at the Phi Kappa Sigma auto show due to its power and style. The Super Sport packs around 550 horsepower under the hood, with enough chrome to pimp half a dozen rides. \nHe bought the car in 1977, used it in drag racing in the '80s, and took it off the frame in '97 to do a complete restoration. Wells is protective of his car and wanted to make sure he had someone who shared his passion before he gave him the project. \n"I've been a paint and body guy for 48 years," Bob Lake told Wells. "And if I could go back and do it all over again, you know what I'd be? A paint and body guy." \nWells was convinced Lake was right for the job and allowed the Bloomington resident to be a part of the restoration. He used numerous custom built pieces, a vintage air conditioning system and a custom tri-coat florescent paint job to give the car its flourish. Lake takes on three antique cars a year and is currently working on a '67 Firebird convertible with a '68 Mustang planned next. As summer approaches, the cars will start coming out of storage, cruising the streets of Bloomington. If the hydraulics and sound don't catch your eye, look for the cast metal, brass plated "Player$" signs on a couple of the tricked out rides.
(06/08/06 4:00am)
It's always nice to listen to something that isn't like everything else that is out there, which usually happens to be popular. British hip-hop, at least in the states, is one of those things that sounds silly at first, but it's damn addictive, let me tell you. The Streets broke out on the scene in 2002 with Original Pirate Material, and are back with a new album entitled The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living.\nThis album is a direct autobiography of the bloke in charge, musical mastermind behind the Streets, Mike Skinner. It is a tale of sex, drugs, and violence, and Skinner's fame; he writes about his current life, unlike some rappers who write about being hard when they are from the suburbs (cough, cough Kanye West). The UK's a rough place, ever seen "Lock Stock" or "Snatch?" The album opener, "Prangin' Out," is all about paranoia and panic from doing drugs, and reminds you (or introduces you to) why the Streets are great. The tempo is a little slower, but things pick up with tracks like "War Of The Sexes," which you can infer what the subject matter is. And this song also includes the cheesiest line on the entire disc: "And remember not to get hammered either. 'Cause people who get hammered don't get to nail…" Stunning… \nSkinner tries his hand at slow, R & B-esque jams, and falls on his face. "All Out The Window" is a love song, and it's just annoying, I'm sorry. "Never Went To Church" is Skinner lamenting over his dead father and about him finding God. While very personal and heartwarming, it didn't do anything for me. \nWhere Skinner shines though is when he's being clever, damn clever indeed. "Can't Con An Honest Jon" is reminiscent of his track "The Irony Of It All" on Original Pirate Material (where he played two men: a drunkard and a weed enthusiast, who battle it out, defending their respective addiction). It describes in detail how to pull off a con, in a story-telling sort of way: quite possibly the best song on this album. And it's catchy.\nCompared to the latter two albums, this outing is the weakest one, but it's not necessarily a load of Von Trappe (that's crap in cockney if you didn't catch it). The beats are kind of weak, and Skinner is a little more conceited then in his previous efforts, where he talks about the common man and everyday life.\nBottom line: The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living is an enjoyable outing, and even if it's a little weak in places, it's better than anything you'll hear on MTV (even if you hear this on MTV). My advice would be to check out Original Pirate Material first (or even Skinner's second album, A Grand Don't Come For Free, which is a concept album about Skinner's travels through everyday life in search of love). But if you're into hip-hop, or just like obscure music, pick this up, oi.
(06/08/06 4:00am)
Simply put, Less Than Jake's new album is...Less Than Great. In With The Out Crowd, which was released in May, comes in the wake of Less Than Jake's 2003 hit album Anthem.\nFor those not familiar with their music, Less Than Jake is recognized mostly as a ska punk band. But their latest album features a new sound with less horns and more unnecessary shouting. The band's sound could be described as a combination of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Blink 182. I know that might sound like a good combination, but so did a collaboration between Michael Jackson and Eddie Murphy. \n"Soundtrack Of My Life" is the first song on the album and the song sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the record. Right off the bat you know the album is going to feature a lot of screaming, an abundance of complaining, and more teenage angst than an episode of "Saved By The Bell." If this is, in fact, the soundtrack to their lives, I wouldn't recommend seeing the movie.\nThe first single released off the album is ironically titled, "Overrated." I can't make this stuff up. In the song, the band asks out loud, "How can I be satisfied when everything is overrated?" Which led me to the obvious question, "How can I be satisfied when all of your songs sound exactly alike?"\nAnother song that most likely won't be nominated for any awards is, "Don't Fall Asleep On The Subway." I listened to this song about 10 times and still can't tell you what it is about. It sounds like Less Than Jake tried to fit as many words as possible into every line of the song. While doing this, they seemed to have failed to make the song have any real meaning. Oops.\nAlso, I'm pretty sure the band stopped trying when they recorded "Fall Apart." The intro to the song sounds eerily familiar to "There Goes My Hero" by the Goo Goo Dolls. To worsen the blow, on the same song the band sings "I can't stop this sinking feeling..." That line would be fine if Neil Diamond and several other artists hadn't recorded nearly the same phrase in, "Hooked On A Feeling."\nAlthough it sounds like I personally invented negativity, there is one song on the album I do enjoy. Less Than Jake saves their best for last with their last song on the album, "P.S. Shock The World." The song incorporates the horns that makes the group unique and sends an interesting message to its fans about their music.
(06/08/06 4:00am)
The sixth and best studio album of Bruce Springsteen's 33-year recording career contains none of the anthemic grandeur present in his previous five records. There are no sax solos or rousing hymns to the working man, and there's nary a hit single to be found. In fact, the only thing on display during Nebraska's stark 41 minutes is Springsteen's voice, harmonica and the forlorn ripples of an acoustic guitar.\nThe usual cast characters (honest, sincere men and women trying to weave their way through a world of hardships occasionally punctuated by fleeting moments of pleasure, release, redemption or transcendence) that populate Springsteen's songs are replaced here by a sordid, suspicious and more downcast lot. The title track recounts the story of the Charlie Starkweather/Caril Ann Fugate murders also dramatized in Terrence Malick's 1973 film "Badlands," and "Johnny 99" tells the tale of a man who drunkenly murders a convenience store clerk only to receive 99 years in prison. "Atlantic City" focuses on a criminal for hire, and both the epic "Highway Patrolman" and ghostly "State Trooper" dive into the tortured psyches of murderers and those who care for them despite their misdeeds.\nNot all the songs deal with criminals, however. The somber "Mansion on the Hill" depicts a simple man living in a town overshadowed by an imposing mansion atop the hill outside of town, and how the goings-on around the house inspired in him a mix of awe and fear as a child and still today. "Used Cars" might well be the most emotional track on the record, with Springsteen detailing a low-income family's search for a suitable automobile, while "Open All Night" is to Nebraska what "Prove It All Night" was to Darkness on the Edge of Town; a desperate ode to getting home to your girl.\n"My Fathers House" and "Reason to Believe" are poignant album closers, the former painting a surrealist dreamscape as its protagonist fights his way through the branches and brambles to find his fathers home, only to discover it, in reality, vacated. The latter, despite its imagery of dead dogs and graveyards, represents a flicker of daylight penetrating the darkness of the rest of the record.\nNebraska is a testament to Springsteen's awe-inspiring deftness with characterization, lyricism and song craft, as well as to the singular austere quality of his voice. Regardless of all the murderers and hopeless characters found on Nebraska, the albums final lines echo with hope in the face of the impossible.\n"Congregation gathers down by the riverside / Preacher stands with his Bible / Groom stands waitin' for his bride / Congregation gone / The sun sets behind a weepin' willow tree / Groom stands alone and watches the river rush on so effortlessly / Wonderin' where can his baby be / Still at the end of every hard-earned day people find some reason to believe"
(06/08/06 4:00am)
With director Joe Roth (America's Sweethearts) and writer Richard Price (Shaft) teaming up together, along with a cast starring Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore, "Freedomland" had everything going for it. The trailers have the movie made out to be a thriller with an edgy and unknown twist that leaves you with a desire to see it. Previews are meant to catch your eye by revealing interesting scenes, but with some movies, it seems that all of the interesting scenes from the movie are shown in that one preview, leaving nothing left to the rest of the movie. \n"Freedomland" is one of those movies where the trailer is as good as the movie is going to get. Julianne Moore (The Forgotten) plays Brenda, a dead-beat mother who is a recovering drug addict. The movie starts out slow with Brenda walking through what looks like the inner-city projects and arriving at a hospital with her hands covered in blood. Being one of the first to notice her, Detective Lorenzo Council (Jackson) approaches Brenda to learn that her car was jacked by a black man. However, it seems that the stolen car is the least of Brenda's worries, as she reveals that her four year old son was in the back seat of the car. Brenda's story seems to have one black man as the lead suspect, causing a major controversy and protest in the black community as many question the truth behind Brenda's story. \nWhile Detective Council is on a hunt for the black man blamed for stealing the car and the kidnapping of Brenda's son, a group of mother's who have suffered from the disappearance of their own children gather in the streets for a silent protest. Leading the protest is Karen Collucci ("The Soprano's" Edie Falco), a mother who lost her son and has since been moved by the incident. Karen begins a search for Brenda's missing son and soon learns that Brenda isn't quite telling the truth about what happened and the whereabouts of her son. \nThough the movie itself was unsatisfactory, it was well acted. The DVD case states this is "…Samuel L. Jackson's best work ever…", which I would have to disagree upon. Although Jackson shows a lot of dedication and passion in this role, he has played far too many other characters which clearly outshine his portrayal of Detective Council. Julianne Moore did a great job as an out-of -whack mother, though her performance reminded me a lot of her work in "The Forgotten." And with Edie Falco's role a much different one than she plays in "The Sopranos", she acted with a very tough and compassionate attitude, clearly that of her character. \nWith the movie and adaptation of Richard Price's novel being much of a disappointment, the DVD also lacks as it contains no special features. Given an "R" rating, this drama/mystery is geared towards adults, maybe older teens as it deals with a very serious and mature subject. However, I would not suggest that anyone rush to see this.
