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(07/21/05 4:00am)
Musicians often prefer to use their creative juices to write songs and lyrics early on in life. If they don't make it big, then they choose another road to travel, keeping their dreams in the back of their minds. \nDavid Gans opted to stray from such a beaten path. After focusing his energy elsewhere for many years, the last eight years has shown the blossoming of his own talents -- and he has plenty of fuel left in his tank.\nGans has been in the music industry since the early 1970's, excavating nearly every nook and cranny. While the name may not be easily recognizable, Gans carries a résumé longer than a six-year-old's Christmas list. In 1969 he picked up his older brother's acoustic guitar and learned a few chords from him. Listening to bands like The Beatles and Crosby, Stills and Nash, Gans found inspiration to write his own material. \n"From that time on I was hooked," he says. "I started writing songs before I played guitar, but once I was playing, they both evolved together."\nIn the early 1970's, Gans followed his passion and became a musical journalist, writing for publications like BAM, Record and Mix, he networked with bands, producers, contractors and other contributors to form an intricate web of relationships. \n"I wasn't intending to drop music," says Gans. "I got into journalism because it was an opportunity to enrich my musical adventures. It became my day job, but I never stopped playing music."\nWriting for BAM in 1976, Gans got the chance to interview one of his favorite bands.\n"I met (The Grateful Dead) when they weren't huge American heroes like they were later in their career," Gans says. "So, over time, I formed friendships with the band."\nBeing a devoted fan of the Dead for years before he met them, Gans appreciated such a connection and learned to benefit from the friendship. In 1984, Gans met Peter Simon, an author writing a book about the Dead. Recognizing Gans's work, Simon asked him to collaborate on the project. The two published "Playing in the Band: An Oral and Visual Portrait of the Grateful Dead" one year after meeting, much to the Dead's liking. \n"The book was very well-reviewed and well-received," says Gans. "From a musician's point of view, the band found it very pleasing."\nThe train didn't stop there, however. In 1985 Gans volunteered to help start a Grateful Dead radio talk show in the San Francisco area. Soon he was asked to host the show. "The Grateful Dead Hour" became so popular in the Bay Area that stations around the country began requesting permission to broadcast Gans' show. In 1987, Gans received permission from the band to syndicate the show. Today more than 80 stations nationwide play "The Grateful Dead Hour" every week. \nDespite his persistence and interest in the subject of The Grateful Dead, Gans remains modest about his opportunities to work with the band and promote its reputation and music. \n"It was not an intention," he says. "It was a series of fortunate encounters."\nYet another "fortunate encounter" presented itself to Gans in the mid-1990's. In 1996, a year after Jerry Garcia's death, the remaining members sought after Gans's services again, this time as a producer. As a kind of dedication project in honor of the late Garcia, Gans co-produced the five-disc boxed set So Many Roads (1965-1995), which was released in 1999 and chronicled the Dead's 30 years together.\n"They hired me to do it after I wrote books and talked about their music on the radio," says Gans. "The guys in the band gave me their vote of confidence after doing the show."\nAmidst an extensive background largely centering on The Grateful Dead, Gans stresses that his own musical career is his primary focus now more than ever. Feeling that Garcia's death put things into perspective, Gans pursued his solo career to the fullest in 1997 when he released his first album, titled Home By Morning. For him it seemed to be the spark necessary to branch out to his own interests. \n"It was more adventurous to make a record," says Gans. "Once I had it in my hand, it made it easier to get out in the world and play." \nWorking with his band, the Broken Angels, Gans released a single in 1998 titled "Monica Lewinsky," a song responding to the Clinton sex scandal that covered front pages that same year. In 2001, he put out Solo Acoustic, and two years later, Gans became one of the first independent artists to release a DVD, called "Live at the Powerhouse." Currently he is working on material that will appear on his upcoming album, which he expects will be released within the next couple months. \nGans has also toured every year since his debut. He enjoys interacting with the audience at his shows and will occasionally take requests. Using a unique device called a loop machine, Gans can play a chord progression, record it, and play it back in order to create multiple layers for a song while soloing over the recorded track. Thursday at 9:30 he rolls into town to play at Second Story. \n"I tour for about a quarter to a third of the year, usually in the summer," Gans says. "I have regions where I do well, and this is the first time I will be back in Indiana since I played in Indianapolis a couple years ago."\nWhen it comes to writing, Gans doesn't necessarily have a default subject. At times they can be personal and elsewhere they can be reflective on current social issues. \n"I've written about a lot of different subjects," he says. "I've tried to cover a lot of ground and give myself exercises. I have also given myself the assignment to write out of pure fiction.\n"This year I've been writing more songs that are socially conscious," Gans continues. "My most recent song, which is called 'It's Gonna Get Worse Before it Gets Better,' is about the domination of right-wing culture."\nAs for any Grateful Dead influence permeating his songs, Gans indicates that the presence isn't as strong as it once was.\n"They're becoming less of an influence," he says. "The Grateful Dead occupied a unique universe that you can't create on your own. I just have a different mission in life." \nGans still hosts "The Grateful Dead Hour" today, which is approaching its twentieth year, and he also hosts his own local Bay Area program called "Dead to the World," a two-hour show that gives Gans more freedom to talk about other genres of music that wet his appetite, such as bluegrass, country and Americana. \nWhen asked if he will return to any of his previous jobs within the music industry, Gans seems dedicated to his present line of duty. \n"Right now I'm too busy working on my own music," Gans says. "I will not say no to a creative challenge unless it's too time-restricting. I'm just trying to open people's minds and tell my own story. And every musician who pays any attention to themselves has a story to tell"
(07/21/05 4:00am)
At last the sixth Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince," has been released. Prior to the book release 12:01 a.m. Saturday several bookstores around Bloomington hosted Potter parties to celebrate the world of wizards, magic and reading. \nWhile there were plenty of children running between bookshelves, their robes drifting behind them, their homemade wands leading the way, there were just as many parents, college kids, and toddlers in attendance who were equally eager for the latest book. The Potter craze has spellbound people of all ages, from three-year-olds wearing wizards' hats, college kids wearing hand-painted Hogwarts t-shirts and an elderly man wearing the signature Hogwarts' maroon and gold scarf as he roamed the bookstore with his grandson. \nAlthough it may have looked as though each little wizard dressed in cloaks and carrying broomsticks was ready to go trick-or-treating, Halloween is an event that comes once a year. For several of the children, their love of the Harry Potter books, movies and fan culture is something they celebrate year-round. \n"For my birthday, I had a Harry Potter party," said 10-year-old Allison Wilson. "I got a Harry Potter poster signed by all the characters and a wand. Everyone was talking so much during the party, but when they saw what I got they just got silent! Everyone just kept staring at my gifts and asking if they could touch it." \nKat Stonecipher, the winner of Border's costume contest, has been planning her costume for the party ever since the last book was released. While most children dressed up as the book's three most popular characters, Harry, Ron and Hermione, Kat chose to dress up as one of the moving portraits from the book. The portraits move and talk to the Hogwart's children as they pass through the halls and stairways. \nCarrying a large picture frame in front of her face, Kat said, "Last year I was dressed up as a girl in Slytherin. It was so not good enough, I didn't win anything! Two days after that, I got this idea and I've been waiting all year to do it." \nKat wasn't the only one preparing months in advance for the latest Harry Potter installment. \n"We have been planning this event since the first of the year," said Gary Rains, an assistant manager at Barnes and Noble Booksellers. \nWhile counting down the hours before midnight, the children scurried from one station to the next to make their own wands, have their fortunes read and participate in an owl hunt. \nAll of the planning for the event paid off. Barnes and Noble had more Potter-lovers than ever before at this year's party. \n"Attendance has consistently been increasing each year. This has been by far the busiest Harry Potter event we've ever had," said Rains.\nBorders also experienced a flood of families at its Potter party. \n"It's hard to say how many people were there because so many people were in and out, but at our peak I'd say we had about 1,000 people there," said Dulcie Holtz, the general manager at Borders bookstore.\nMany of the families in attendance Friday night said they come year after year for the parties. \nAt last year's Potter party, Kate Raphael, age nine, won a free copy of the fifth book for winning a Hermione Granger look-alike contest. Her mother, Mary Peckham, said they had attended several Potter parties as the books progressed.\n"We went to a different book release party for Harry Potter and they were doing Harry Potter trivia from the books. They actually ran out of trivia questions, so the kids had to make up their own questions. It was amazing how much detail they remembered," said Peckham. \nPerhaps even more excited than the kids were to receive their new book were the parents thrilled that their children were so entranced by reading. \n"Anything that gets the kids reading a 750-page book is great," said Wendy Wilson, who wore a Harry Potter hat herself. "My daughter is in second grade and she really wasn't into reading, but her teacher read Harry Potter out loud in class, and she's loved it ever since." \nNick Cullather took his family to Howard's bookstore for their "Bring Your Own Pillow" party where the children watched the "Prisoner of Azkaban" movie prior to the midnight book release. \n"I have two kids. For my son Joey, Harry Potter is the only fiction that he reads. He's a very left-brained kid, so he usually reads sports and science books," said Cullather. "They were still very excited all week though. It's all they've talked about, they went to Potter camp all week, and they wanted to watch all of the movies all over again." \nAlthough some of the children at the Potter parties are too young to read the lengthy books, that doesn't stop them from getting excited. Angela Floyd brought her son Nathaniel to the party at Borders. \n"He doesn't read the books yet. Some of the mature content is a little too old for him, but we get the books on CD and listen to them on trips, and he just loves the movies," said Floyd.\nWhen it comes to deciding between the Potter books or the Potter movies, the majority of children said without hesitation that the books were much better. \n"I definitely like the books better because they're so detailed and so thick. It's going to take forever to finish," said Arin Stonecipher.\nWhether it's the books they love or the movies, everyone has their favorite character. The majority of girls said Hermione was their favorite, each echoing one another by saying it was because she was so smart. Others like Kate Raphael said they like Harry Potter best, "because he's cute and adventurous." \nWith a broom on his back, a hand-drawn scar on his forehead and a Quiddich uniform on, Var Brynildssen said his favorite character was Hagrid. "I like Hagrid because he's fat! No ... because he's always there for Harry," he said.\nBy 12:01, when the sixth book had finally been released and each little wizard had a copy in hand, it was well past most of their bedtimes. However, for some children, like 13-year-old Hadley Crohn, the night wasn't about to end there. \n"I'm going to go home and stay up all night to read it"
(07/21/05 4:00am)
"Million Dollar Baby" won the 2005 Oscar for Best Picture and it won the old fashion way: by actually being the best picture the year that it was released. Wow, how refreshing. \n"Million Dollar Baby" is the story of boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood), who, after a good deal of coercion, takes on a 31-year-old female boxer, Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank). The movie pulls in wonderful performances from both Swank and Eastwood, as well as from Morgan Freeman for his role as boxer-turned-janitor Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris who narrates the film. Freeman and Swank both won Oscars for their performances (Swank's second), and Eastwood won the Oscar for Best Director (his second as well).\nThis raises an interesting question. When did Clint Eastwood go from being a niche actor to being one of the most important filmmakers in Hollywood? If somebody back in the 70's would have said Dirty Harry would win two Oscars for his directing prowess, the response would have been, "Yeah right and I suppose the red-head kid from 'Happy Days' will win one too?"\nThe DVD comes with two discs, one for the movie and one for the special features. I am not really sure why they needed two discs though, since all that is on the special features disc is two 15-minute featurettes and an episode of "Inside the Actor's Studio" featuring Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank (which incidentally is worth watching for the James Lipton ass-kissing if for no other reason). The first disc doesn't have any special features, not even a commentary track. There really doesn't seem to be any reason whatsoever that they couldn't fit the special features onto the first disc.\nThen again, this movie is so great that it doesn't even need special features to justify buying the DVD. Every aspect of this film from the script to the acting is almost perfect. And with this film, Clint Eastwood firmly establishes himself as one of the most important directors in Hollywood.
(07/21/05 4:00am)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet is without a doubt one of the most interesting directors working in film today. He jumped onto the scene with his dark comedy "Delicatessen," tackled some modern day surrealism with "City of Lost Children," dazzled our senses with 2001's foreign hit "Amélie" and even contributed to the Alien Quadrilogy with the stylized bombshell "Alien Resurrection." His latest contribution to modern-day cinema, "A Very Long Engagement," mimics the style of some of his previous works, but is an entirely different cinematic experience.\nThe World War I period romance tells the story of Mathilde and Manech, two young lovers who are set to marry but then split apart by the French's involvement in the war and Manech's duty to serve his country. The film is in many ways a romantic epic, not unlike "Gone With the Wind" or possibly "The English Patient," however it is also one of the finest portrayals of W.W.I, a war the is often overshadowed in film by W.W.II.\nThe film opens in the trenches, where we learn of five soldiers who have been sentenced to death for self-mutilation (a way out of the mud and into the army hospitals). The narrator, Mathilde (Audrey Tautou), tells each soldiers' tale while we watch them march to certain death. One of the soldiers is her fiancée, Manech. This introduction, while containing some of the most daunting, yet incredible war footage filmed to date, is also the start to Mathilde's epic search to find her husband, who she believes to be still alive. \nThough Mathilde's guardians (played by the Jeunet regular Dominique Pinon) try to help her move on, and forget her lost fiancée, she continues her search. By piecing together letters, government documents about Manech's army company and seeking out people who knew her lover during the war, Mathilde creates one of the biggest, most intricate puzzles seen on film in a long time. \nAlong the way she encounters a bartender who sports a mechanical wooden hand, a ex-prostitute turned assassin, a sly Parisian private eye and a French-speaking woman played wonderfully by Jodie Foster, among others. \nJeunet creates an almost dreamlike world for his characters. The production designs in this film are elaborate, as are the costumes, and Jeunet always seems to be looking for a unique way to land his shots. \nThe two-disc DVD release features a number of impressive documentaries ranging from a behind-the-scenes look at the recreation of Paris a lá 1920, and a fascinating look at how Jeunet and his team created the film's epic-scale exploding zeppelin. There are also some decent deleted scenes, and a French (with English subtitles) commentary track from Jeunet himself.\n"A Very Long Engagement" is one of the highlights from 2004 that received very little American attention. The raw war imagery combined with the beautifully told love story makes this a tough yet wonderful piece of storytelling and proves, once again, that Jeunet is on his way to a spot in cinematic history.
(07/21/05 4:00am)
The world of online gaming can be a scary place.\nDon't believe me? Imagine this: thousands of overweight, pasty nerds brought together by the wonders of the information era to waste their lives together in an infinite number of online battles, using keyboards and headsets to talk to each other as they consume metric tons of Cheetos and Mountain Dew.\nNot a pleasant image, is it?\nStill, the hobby grows more and more popular as countless people join the online ranks daily, playing as soldiers and superheroes and temperamental elves. \nThough the anonymity of the internet makes it possible for billions of people to get together and kill each other on a daily basis, there are a few unspoken rules that seemingly everyone follows. If you, too, are a pasty internet nerd who enjoys going on guild raids and blowing up strangers with rocket launchers, I have compiled a rudimentary list of the things you will need to know to be successful in the world of online gaming:\n1. Never use proper English. Ever.\nGenerally, if you use the internet daily anyway, capitalization and spelling are the least of your concerns when it comes to updating your LiveJournal or Facebook. Still, this bears mentioning. Internet gamers have found a way to make bastardized abbreviations of nearly every English phrase (or even word), and if you don't know the lingo, you're out of luck.\nSay, for instance, you are playing a game of "Battlefield 2" and someone on your team takes it upon himself to shoot you until you die. Which of these two responses are acceptable? \nA) "I do not appreciate that you team-killed me and cost our team valuable points."\nB) "wtf u tking idiot wactch where ur awping next time"\nIf you picked the second choice, congratulations, you can play video games on the internet. If you picked the first, other life choices may be better for you. Maybe moving out of mom's basement and getting a real job.\n2. If you use a headset, be sure your voice is only slightly less annoying than Fran Drescher's.\nThis is a must, whether you're doing your fragging on a computer or a console. Analysts say the average gamer is 18 to 26. Analysts, apparently, also like to huff glue. To effectively use a headset you must be a foul-mouthed ten-year-old or at least capable of acting like one.\nThere are other factors to consider here. If you're using a headset, never turn it off. Mom comes in and asks you to do the dishes? Be sure to let everyone in the squad in on your argument with her. On the phone with your girlfriend? Everyone would love to hear what you're going to do to her this weekend! It's also good to let people know about the boring minutiae of your life as you play. For instance, if you have to stop soon, be sure and let everyone know it's because you have to go administer ear medicine to your cat. \nBonus points if you spend the rest of your time complaining about cheaters/lag/anything else that's causing you to lose the match.\n3. No matter what you're doing in the game, make sure you're exploiting it to make it no fun for everyone else.\nThis is probably the most important lesson a person can learn when venturing into the online arena. There's only one thing you need to keep in mind: people do not play video games for fun anymore. They play them for rank points or unlockables or whatever else they can use to justify spending twelve hours a day in front of the computer. \nBecause of this, there's one important lesson to learn: always go for the strongest weapon, even if you must kill teammates to get it. After obtaining said weapon, never drop it. Be sure to hide in a place where you cannot be hit and rack up cheap kill after cheap kill. If someone complains, be sure to insult their sexuality, their mother or maybe even a combination of the two.\nWith these starting lessons in mind almost anyone can jump in and play like a pro, no matter what the game. With no English skills, a squeaky voice and a determination only to rack up points to make up for any real accomplishment in your life, you will be an unstoppable killing machine capable of annoying even the most patient of gamers. Good luck, and pray to God you never recognize anyone you play games with in public. Chances are you won't have a rocket launcher in real life.
(07/20/05 9:07pm)
The world of online gaming can be a scary place.\nDon't believe me? Imagine this: thousands of overweight, pasty nerds brought together by the wonders of the information era to waste their lives together in an infinite number of online battles, using keyboards and headsets to talk to each other as they consume metric tons of Cheetos and Mountain Dew.\nNot a pleasant image, is it?\nStill, the hobby grows more and more popular as countless people join the online ranks daily, playing as soldiers and superheroes and temperamental elves. \nThough the anonymity of the internet makes it possible for billions of people to get together and kill each other on a daily basis, there are a few unspoken rules that seemingly everyone follows. If you, too, are a pasty internet nerd who enjoys going on guild raids and blowing up strangers with rocket launchers, I have compiled a rudimentary list of the things you will need to know to be successful in the world of online gaming:\n1. Never use proper English. Ever.\nGenerally, if you use the internet daily anyway, capitalization and spelling are the least of your concerns when it comes to updating your LiveJournal or Facebook. Still, this bears mentioning. Internet gamers have found a way to make bastardized abbreviations of nearly every English phrase (or even word), and if you don't know the lingo, you're out of luck.\nSay, for instance, you are playing a game of "Battlefield 2" and someone on your team takes it upon himself to shoot you until you die. Which of these two responses are acceptable? \nA) "I do not appreciate that you team-killed me and cost our team valuable points."\nB) "wtf u tking idiot wactch where ur awping next time"\nIf you picked the second choice, congratulations, you can play video games on the internet. If you picked the first, other life choices may be better for you. Maybe moving out of mom's basement and getting a real job.\n2. If you use a headset, be sure your voice is only slightly less annoying than Fran Drescher's.\nThis is a must, whether you're doing your fragging on a computer or a console. Analysts say the average gamer is 18 to 26. Analysts, apparently, also like to huff glue. To effectively use a headset you must be a foul-mouthed ten-year-old or at least capable of acting like one.\nThere are other factors to consider here. If you're using a headset, never turn it off. Mom comes in and asks you to do the dishes? Be sure to let everyone in the squad in on your argument with her. On the phone with your girlfriend? Everyone would love to hear what you're going to do to her this weekend! It's also good to let people know about the boring minutiae of your life as you play. For instance, if you have to stop soon, be sure and let everyone know it's because you have to go administer ear medicine to your cat. \nBonus points if you spend the rest of your time complaining about cheaters/lag/anything else that's causing you to lose the match.\n3. No matter what you're doing in the game, make sure you're exploiting it to make it no fun for everyone else.\nThis is probably the most important lesson a person can learn when venturing into the online arena. There's only one thing you need to keep in mind: people do not play video games for fun anymore. They play them for rank points or unlockables or whatever else they can use to justify spending twelve hours a day in front of the computer. \nBecause of this, there's one important lesson to learn: always go for the strongest weapon, even if you must kill teammates to get it. After obtaining said weapon, never drop it. Be sure to hide in a place where you cannot be hit and rack up cheap kill after cheap kill. If someone complains, be sure to insult their sexuality, their mother or maybe even a combination of the two.\nWith these starting lessons in mind almost anyone can jump in and play like a pro, no matter what the game. With no English skills, a squeaky voice and a determination only to rack up points to make up for any real accomplishment in your life, you will be an unstoppable killing machine capable of annoying even the most patient of gamers. Good luck, and pray to God you never recognize anyone you play games with in public. Chances are you won't have a rocket launcher in real life.
(07/20/05 9:06pm)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet is without a doubt one of the most interesting directors working in film today. He jumped onto the scene with his dark comedy "Delicatessen," tackled some modern day surrealism with "City of Lost Children," dazzled our senses with 2001's foreign hit "Amélie" and even contributed to the Alien Quadrilogy with the stylized bombshell "Alien Resurrection." His latest contribution to modern-day cinema, "A Very Long Engagement," mimics the style of some of his previous works, but is an entirely different cinematic experience.\nThe World War I period romance tells the story of Mathilde and Manech, two young lovers who are set to marry but then split apart by the French's involvement in the war and Manech's duty to serve his country. The film is in many ways a romantic epic, not unlike "Gone With the Wind" or possibly "The English Patient," however it is also one of the finest portrayals of W.W.I, a war the is often overshadowed in film by W.W.II.\nThe film opens in the trenches, where we learn of five soldiers who have been sentenced to death for self-mutilation (a way out of the mud and into the army hospitals). The narrator, Mathilde (Audrey Tautou), tells each soldiers' tale while we watch them march to certain death. One of the soldiers is her fiancée, Manech. This introduction, while containing some of the most daunting, yet incredible war footage filmed to date, is also the start to Mathilde's epic search to find her husband, who she believes to be still alive. \nThough Mathilde's guardians (played by the Jeunet regular Dominique Pinon) try to help her move on, and forget her lost fiancée, she continues her search. By piecing together letters, government documents about Manech's army company and seeking out people who knew her lover during the war, Mathilde creates one of the biggest, most intricate puzzles seen on film in a long time. \nAlong the way she encounters a bartender who sports a mechanical wooden hand, a ex-prostitute turned assassin, a sly Parisian private eye and a French-speaking woman played wonderfully by Jodie Foster, among others. \nJeunet creates an almost dreamlike world for his characters. The production designs in this film are elaborate, as are the costumes, and Jeunet always seems to be looking for a unique way to land his shots. \nThe two-disc DVD release features a number of impressive documentaries ranging from a behind-the-scenes look at the recreation of Paris a lá 1920, and a fascinating look at how Jeunet and his team created the film's epic-scale exploding zeppelin. There are also some decent deleted scenes, and a French (with English subtitles) commentary track from Jeunet himself.\n"A Very Long Engagement" is one of the highlights from 2004 that received very little American attention. The raw war imagery combined with the beautifully told love story makes this a tough yet wonderful piece of storytelling and proves, once again, that Jeunet is on his way to a spot in cinematic history.
(07/20/05 9:04pm)
"Million Dollar Baby" won the 2005 Oscar for Best Picture and it won the old fashion way: by actually being the best picture the year that it was released. Wow, how refreshing. \n"Million Dollar Baby" is the story of boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood), who, after a good deal of coercion, takes on a 31-year-old female boxer, Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank). The movie pulls in wonderful performances from both Swank and Eastwood, as well as from Morgan Freeman for his role as boxer-turned-janitor Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris who narrates the film. Freeman and Swank both won Oscars for their performances (Swank's second), and Eastwood won the Oscar for Best Director (his second as well).\nThis raises an interesting question. When did Clint Eastwood go from being a niche actor to being one of the most important filmmakers in Hollywood? If somebody back in the 70's would have said Dirty Harry would win two Oscars for his directing prowess, the response would have been, "Yeah right and I suppose the red-head kid from 'Happy Days' will win one too?"\nThe DVD comes with two discs, one for the movie and one for the special features. I am not really sure why they needed two discs though, since all that is on the special features disc is two 15-minute featurettes and an episode of "Inside the Actor's Studio" featuring Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank (which incidentally is worth watching for the James Lipton ass-kissing if for no other reason). The first disc doesn't have any special features, not even a commentary track. There really doesn't seem to be any reason whatsoever that they couldn't fit the special features onto the first disc.\nThen again, this movie is so great that it doesn't even need special features to justify buying the DVD. Every aspect of this film from the script to the acting is almost perfect. And with this film, Clint Eastwood firmly establishes himself as one of the most important directors in Hollywood.
(07/20/05 8:49pm)
Musicians often prefer to use their creative juices to write songs and lyrics early on in life. If they don't make it big, then they choose another road to travel, keeping their dreams in the back of their minds. \nDavid Gans opted to stray from such a beaten path. After focusing his energy elsewhere for many years, the last eight years has shown the blossoming of his own talents -- and he has plenty of fuel left in his tank.\nGans has been in the music industry since the early 1970's, excavating nearly every nook and cranny. While the name may not be easily recognizable, Gans carries a résumé longer than a six-year-old's Christmas list. In 1969 he picked up his older brother's acoustic guitar and learned a few chords from him. Listening to bands like The Beatles and Crosby, Stills and Nash, Gans found inspiration to write his own material. \n"From that time on I was hooked," he says. "I started writing songs before I played guitar, but once I was playing, they both evolved together."\nIn the early 1970's, Gans followed his passion and became a musical journalist, writing for publications like BAM, Record and Mix, he networked with bands, producers, contractors and other contributors to form an intricate web of relationships. \n"I wasn't intending to drop music," says Gans. "I got into journalism because it was an opportunity to enrich my musical adventures. It became my day job, but I never stopped playing music."\nWriting for BAM in 1976, Gans got the chance to interview one of his favorite bands.\n"I met (The Grateful Dead) when they weren't huge American heroes like they were later in their career," Gans says. "So, over time, I formed friendships with the band."\nBeing a devoted fan of the Dead for years before he met them, Gans appreciated such a connection and learned to benefit from the friendship. In 1984, Gans met Peter Simon, an author writing a book about the Dead. Recognizing Gans's work, Simon asked him to collaborate on the project. The two published "Playing in the Band: An Oral and Visual Portrait of the Grateful Dead" one year after meeting, much to the Dead's liking. \n"The book was very well-reviewed and well-received," says Gans. "From a musician's point of view, the band found it very pleasing."\nThe train didn't stop there, however. In 1985 Gans volunteered to help start a Grateful Dead radio talk show in the San Francisco area. Soon he was asked to host the show. "The Grateful Dead Hour" became so popular in the Bay Area that stations around the country began requesting permission to broadcast Gans' show. In 1987, Gans received permission from the band to syndicate the show. Today more than 80 stations nationwide play "The Grateful Dead Hour" every week. \nDespite his persistence and interest in the subject of The Grateful Dead, Gans remains modest about his opportunities to work with the band and promote its reputation and music. \n"It was not an intention," he says. "It was a series of fortunate encounters."\nYet another "fortunate encounter" presented itself to Gans in the mid-1990's. In 1996, a year after Jerry Garcia's death, the remaining members sought after Gans's services again, this time as a producer. As a kind of dedication project in honor of the late Garcia, Gans co-produced the five-disc boxed set So Many Roads (1965-1995), which was released in 1999 and chronicled the Dead's 30 years together.\n"They hired me to do it after I wrote books and talked about their music on the radio," says Gans. "The guys in the band gave me their vote of confidence after doing the show."\nAmidst an extensive background largely centering on The Grateful Dead, Gans stresses that his own musical career is his primary focus now more than ever. Feeling that Garcia's death put things into perspective, Gans pursued his solo career to the fullest in 1997 when he released his first album, titled Home By Morning. For him it seemed to be the spark necessary to branch out to his own interests. \n"It was more adventurous to make a record," says Gans. "Once I had it in my hand, it made it easier to get out in the world and play." \nWorking with his band, the Broken Angels, Gans released a single in 1998 titled "Monica Lewinsky," a song responding to the Clinton sex scandal that covered front pages that same year. In 2001, he put out Solo Acoustic, and two years later, Gans became one of the first independent artists to release a DVD, called "Live at the Powerhouse." Currently he is working on material that will appear on his upcoming album, which he expects will be released within the next couple months. \nGans has also toured every year since his debut. He enjoys interacting with the audience at his shows and will occasionally take requests. Using a unique device called a loop machine, Gans can play a chord progression, record it, and play it back in order to create multiple layers for a song while soloing over the recorded track. Thursday at 9:30 he rolls into town to play at Second Story. \n"I tour for about a quarter to a third of the year, usually in the summer," Gans says. "I have regions where I do well, and this is the first time I will be back in Indiana since I played in Indianapolis a couple years ago."\nWhen it comes to writing, Gans doesn't necessarily have a default subject. At times they can be personal and elsewhere they can be reflective on current social issues. \n"I've written about a lot of different subjects," he says. "I've tried to cover a lot of ground and give myself exercises. I have also given myself the assignment to write out of pure fiction.\n"This year I've been writing more songs that are socially conscious," Gans continues. "My most recent song, which is called 'It's Gonna Get Worse Before it Gets Better,' is about the domination of right-wing culture."\nAs for any Grateful Dead influence permeating his songs, Gans indicates that the presence isn't as strong as it once was.\n"They're becoming less of an influence," he says. "The Grateful Dead occupied a unique universe that you can't create on your own. I just have a different mission in life." \nGans still hosts "The Grateful Dead Hour" today, which is approaching its twentieth year, and he also hosts his own local Bay Area program called "Dead to the World," a two-hour show that gives Gans more freedom to talk about other genres of music that wet his appetite, such as bluegrass, country and Americana. \nWhen asked if he will return to any of his previous jobs within the music industry, Gans seems dedicated to his present line of duty. \n"Right now I'm too busy working on my own music," Gans says. "I will not say no to a creative challenge unless it's too time-restricting. I'm just trying to open people's minds and tell my own story. And every musician who pays any attention to themselves has a story to tell"
(07/20/05 8:47pm)
At last the sixth Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince," has been released. Prior to the book release 12:01 a.m. Saturday several bookstores around Bloomington hosted Potter parties to celebrate the world of wizards, magic and reading. \nWhile there were plenty of children running between bookshelves, their robes drifting behind them, their homemade wands leading the way, there were just as many parents, college kids, and toddlers in attendance who were equally eager for the latest book. The Potter craze has spellbound people of all ages, from three-year-olds wearing wizards' hats, college kids wearing hand-painted Hogwarts t-shirts and an elderly man wearing the signature Hogwarts' maroon and gold scarf as he roamed the bookstore with his grandson. \nAlthough it may have looked as though each little wizard dressed in cloaks and carrying broomsticks was ready to go trick-or-treating, Halloween is an event that comes once a year. For several of the children, their love of the Harry Potter books, movies and fan culture is something they celebrate year-round. \n"For my birthday, I had a Harry Potter party," said 10-year-old Allison Wilson. "I got a Harry Potter poster signed by all the characters and a wand. Everyone was talking so much during the party, but when they saw what I got they just got silent! Everyone just kept staring at my gifts and asking if they could touch it." \nKat Stonecipher, the winner of Border's costume contest, has been planning her costume for the party ever since the last book was released. While most children dressed up as the book's three most popular characters, Harry, Ron and Hermione, Kat chose to dress up as one of the moving portraits from the book. The portraits move and talk to the Hogwart's children as they pass through the halls and stairways. \nCarrying a large picture frame in front of her face, Kat said, "Last year I was dressed up as a girl in Slytherin. It was so not good enough, I didn't win anything! Two days after that, I got this idea and I've been waiting all year to do it." \nKat wasn't the only one preparing months in advance for the latest Harry Potter installment. \n"We have been planning this event since the first of the year," said Gary Rains, an assistant manager at Barnes and Noble Booksellers. \nWhile counting down the hours before midnight, the children scurried from one station to the next to make their own wands, have their fortunes read and participate in an owl hunt. \nAll of the planning for the event paid off. Barnes and Noble had more Potter-lovers than ever before at this year's party. \n"Attendance has consistently been increasing each year. This has been by far the busiest Harry Potter event we've ever had," said Rains.\nBorders also experienced a flood of families at its Potter party. \n"It's hard to say how many people were there because so many people were in and out, but at our peak I'd say we had about 1,000 people there," said Dulcie Holtz, the general manager at Borders bookstore.\nMany of the families in attendance Friday night said they come year after year for the parties. \nAt last year's Potter party, Kate Raphael, age nine, won a free copy of the fifth book for winning a Hermione Granger look-alike contest. Her mother, Mary Peckham, said they had attended several Potter parties as the books progressed.\n"We went to a different book release party for Harry Potter and they were doing Harry Potter trivia from the books. They actually ran out of trivia questions, so the kids had to make up their own questions. It was amazing how much detail they remembered," said Peckham. \nPerhaps even more excited than the kids were to receive their new book were the parents thrilled that their children were so entranced by reading. \n"Anything that gets the kids reading a 750-page book is great," said Wendy Wilson, who wore a Harry Potter hat herself. "My daughter is in second grade and she really wasn't into reading, but her teacher read Harry Potter out loud in class, and she's loved it ever since." \nNick Cullather took his family to Howard's bookstore for their "Bring Your Own Pillow" party where the children watched the "Prisoner of Azkaban" movie prior to the midnight book release. \n"I have two kids. For my son Joey, Harry Potter is the only fiction that he reads. He's a very left-brained kid, so he usually reads sports and science books," said Cullather. "They were still very excited all week though. It's all they've talked about, they went to Potter camp all week, and they wanted to watch all of the movies all over again." \nAlthough some of the children at the Potter parties are too young to read the lengthy books, that doesn't stop them from getting excited. Angela Floyd brought her son Nathaniel to the party at Borders. \n"He doesn't read the books yet. Some of the mature content is a little too old for him, but we get the books on CD and listen to them on trips, and he just loves the movies," said Floyd.\nWhen it comes to deciding between the Potter books or the Potter movies, the majority of children said without hesitation that the books were much better. \n"I definitely like the books better because they're so detailed and so thick. It's going to take forever to finish," said Arin Stonecipher.\nWhether it's the books they love or the movies, everyone has their favorite character. The majority of girls said Hermione was their favorite, each echoing one another by saying it was because she was so smart. Others like Kate Raphael said they like Harry Potter best, "because he's cute and adventurous." \nWith a broom on his back, a hand-drawn scar on his forehead and a Quiddich uniform on, Var Brynildssen said his favorite character was Hagrid. "I like Hagrid because he's fat! No ... because he's always there for Harry," he said.\nBy 12:01, when the sixth book had finally been released and each little wizard had a copy in hand, it was well past most of their bedtimes. However, for some children, like 13-year-old Hadley Crohn, the night wasn't about to end there. \n"I'm going to go home and stay up all night to read it"
(07/14/05 4:00am)
Call me crazy, but sometimes I want my superheroes to act, well, super.\nSometimes I don't want to watch a multi-billionaire lose himself in the confusion of his chosen vigilante path. Sometimes I get tired of hearing Tobey Maguire unconvincingly whine about having both cool spider powers and the hot red-head next door.\nEvery once in a while, I just want to see good guys with cool superpowers beat the bad guys. And there should be some explosions and good-hearted chuckles along the way.\nThe beauty and fun of director Tim Story's "Fantastic Four" comes through its simplicity. In a movie market that has become flooded with comic book flicks it is somewhat refreshing to see a superhero movie that does not take itself too seriously.\nWhat the movie lacks in depth it makes up for with strong, clear characters. And while it has some poor dialogue and is rather predictable, it's still not a bad way to spend a hot summer afternoon.\nThe main strength of this movie is its characters. The beginning of "Fantastic Four" is devoted to trying to bring the viewer up-to-date with the storyline, which is somehow already in progress. Complete characters with full histories are introduced in quick succession before going on some space mission.\nFortunately, by the time they are bombarded by cosmic rays and developing superpowers, director Story has solidly built the characters with actions and dialogue. \nIn the style of the comic book, he foregoes trying to make dramatic changes within all the characters in a short two hours but instead explores the relationships between each and all of the major players.\nFans will for the most part be pleased with the accurate translations of the characters to the big screen. Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic), Jessica Alba (The Invisible Woman) and Chris Evans (The Human Torch) nail the comic characters perfectly. \nThough Michael Chiklis makes an excellent Ben Grimm, his Thing isn't physically large enough. But he earns major props and brings appropriate heart to the role by playing it in person instead of letting it be filled by a computer-generated Muppet.\nDoctor Doom (Julian McMahon) gets watered down in the movie adaptation, however. Like other major Marvel franchises "X-Men" and "Spider-Man," the "Fantastic Four" movie attempts to combine the classic comics with the more modernized, "Ultimate" series. But doing so sadly degrades Doom from a notorious supervillain to more of a tag-along friend that everybody else kind of hates.\nFor the casual viewer, you would want to see "Fantastic Four" for the same reasons you would want to see an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Sure, he won't be nominated for Best Actor, but it is still fun to watch the Governator romp around blowing things up.\nThe same goes for "FF." It's never going to win any Oscars. But what did you expect from a movie whose preview boasts "The Commish" running around in 60 lbs. of orange latex yelling that "it's clobberin' time"?
(07/14/05 4:00am)
"Dark Water," the most recent edition to the current wave of Japanese horror film remakes, is a standard ghost story that is not only superior to its original, but also both "The Ring" series and "The Grudge." This said, while "Dark Water" succeeds in thrills and a unique story line, it is far from being a perfect horror film. \nThe film stars Jennifer Connelly as Dahlia, a deeply troubled and recently divorced mother who is forced to move from her normal New York City life to a more reasonably priced apartment/housing project across the river. After moving in Dahlia begins to realize that the building may have its own severe problems. Ceiling leaks begin to appear and eventually grow in size, there are noises from the apartment above her which is supposed to be abandoned and the maintenance man (Pete Postlethwaite) doesn't seem give a damn about anyone, least of all Dahlia. To top this off, she is in a tough legal battle with her ex-husband (British actor Dougray Scott) for the custody of their young daughter Ceci (Ariel Gade, a possible future Dakota Fanning). \nAs the film slowly progresses, Dahlia begins to discover that the building has some dark, possibly supernatural secrets and the soiled water that keeps creeping into her apartment during the middle of the night is more than just a leak. Eventually, following in the footsteps of the previous films in this new genre, a creepy child appears who seems to be haunting the building and Dahlia, however, where this film succeeds is in how the ghost child is presented. Unlike "The Ring" series or "The Grudge," where the children have white makeup and sound like drowning cats, the ghost child in "Dark Water" is a normal looking child, who never really appears to be dangerous. \nFor the first 3/4 of film, "Dark Water" is an nice little psychological thriller dealing with Dahlia's struggle with her harsh childhood, her daughter's recent imaginary friend, as well as her desire to be an overall good mother -- something she lacked as a child. The film mimics other successful ghost stories like "The Devil's Backbone" and "The Others," with its building level of tension, but has its own style to it thanks to the creepy tinted water.\nThe film was directed by Brazilian director Walter Salles ("Central Station," "The Motorcycle Diaries,"), this being his first English-language film. Salles brings a dark style to this film that, I must say, the original Japanese version lacked. The cinematography is brilliant and makes Dahlia's building look like the housing project from hell. Connelly masters her character perfectly, which makes sense since she has a talent for playing depressed women. Other strong performances by John C. Reilly as the sleazy real estate agent and the extremely underused Tim Roth as Dahlia's lawyer help to take "Dark Water" to a level beyond most of the horror movies we see today. \nThe constant scares seen in "The Grudge," mainly by creepy white-faced children, is replaced by a slow moving, yet interesting storyline. While some people in the audience at the theater seemed disappointed -- possibly expecting more scares -- I was satisfied with "Dark Water." In the end of the film there are a few unanswered questions, and logistics in a horror film never make total sense, however the film succeeded in telling a decent, original ghost story where I actually felt something for Connelly's struggles.
(07/14/05 4:00am)
There are two kinds of scary movies for me. The first are movies like "Scream" or "I Know What You Did Last Summer" -- movies that keep you on the edge of your seat but you know realistically the events unfolding on the screen won't happen to you. The second, which is much better than the first, is the kind that are creepy like "Kiss the Girls" or "Hide and Seek." \nIn "Seek," Robert De Niro stars as David Callaway, a psychiatrist whose wife commits suicide at the beginning of the movie. To assist his daughter Emily, played by Dakota Fanning, in overcoming the trauma, they move to upstate New York. Upon moving to the country, Fanning develops an imaginary friend, "Charlie," to help her cope with the loss of her mother. "Charlie" begins to terrorize Fanning and De Niro, killing animals, causing Fanning to act out and writing disturbing messages in blood on the shower curtain. \nThis movie provides twists and turns for the viewers and just when you think you've figured out the inner workings of "Charlie," you find out you were wrong. The ending of the movie leaves you satisfied, yet there are certain details that keep you guessing.\nThe DVD of "Seek" provides viewers with four alternate endings to the original. The idea of four different endings makes me think of the choose-your-own-adventure books I read as a child. If you don't like the way the director chose to end the movie, you can always pick a different one. This is one feature of the DVD that I could do without. I am already an indecisive person, I don't need to have to make more choices, especially when I want to be entertained. \nLike most other DVDs, this one offers viewers commentary from the director and screenwriter, which prove to be helpful, especially to those movie buffs that are interested in the behind-the-scenes of movies and insight to director's thoughts. \nAlong with the alternate endings, there are 14 deleted/extended scenes for those who can't get enough of the psychological thriller. But for the most part, the extra scenes and alternates don't change the outcome or meaning of the movie.\n"Seek" might not be as scary as it was when viewed in the theater, but it definitely worth making a trip to the video store one night for a nice scare.
(07/14/05 4:00am)
Imagine picking up the newest album from the punk sensation "Sweet Children." Doesn't have much of a ring, does it? But if the same album is from "Green Day," it just has a little more punch. A good band name can be instrumental and some try many times to clear that hurdle before landing on the perfect name.\nBig Saturday\nBig Saturday's name was a struggle for the band, and the group went through several drafts before settling on a name. "The band name Big Saturday came from a long arduous process of trying to find something that didn't sound horrible," Big Saturday guitarist Whit Conway said.\n"How can a group decide on a word or a few words that are supposed to encapsulate everything the band represents musically and personally? How we came up with Big Saturday: We were playing a show tentatively named as 'The Way' or 'The Weigh,' we couldn't agree on which, in our friend's basement on a Saturday night. We had been playing these Saturday night party shows weekly for a while. Being a house party, there were always lots of people there, but this one time we had a really good amount of people paying more attention than usual to our group. After the show a fan who'd been there for the majority of the Saturdays we had played said, 'Man, you guys, this was a really big Saturday!'" \nThe name stuck.\nColdplay\nAfter the success of albums such as "X&Y" and "A Rush of Blood to the Head," it's tough to imagine that Coldplay was ever a struggling band. Before finally finding fame, the members of Coldplay actually tried breaking into the music scene under the name Starfish. Their friends in another band were actually the ones who first began using the name Coldplay. They took this name from a book written by Philip Horky titled "Child's Reflections, Cold Play." After they decided not to use the name anymore, Starfish asked for their permission to take on the name Coldplay.\nCats Walking Backwards\nThe origin of the name of Bloomington band Cats Walking Backwards is exactly what it sounds like: it was inspired by a cat walking backward.\n"I have a black male long-haired cat, Figment, that is somewhat of a terror, what with his mischief and all. I have developed a sixth sense that lets me know when he is about to do something wrong," guitarist Alex Hall said. "As a result, I can generally quell the trouble before it happens, often a trigger for Figment to have to take a few steps backward. The sight is a particularly humorous one, and was my inspiration for submitting the idea of 'Cats Walking Backwards' to the guys as a possible band name. They approved." \nFOO Fighters\nThe Foo Fighters looked to history and science to form their band name. In World War II, American pilots reported seeing strange balls of light over Germany. People who saw the balls referred to them as Foo Fighters or "Kraut Balls" and believed they were secret weapons of the Germans. People who study UFOs and alien abductions believed that the balls of light were actually extraterrestrial, because people who had reported being abducted by aliens mentioned seeing similar balls of light. \nHogscraper\nSatanic bluegrass band Hogscraper found its inspiration through farm-supply mass mailings. \n"Back in the old hole in the ground on Dixmyth where we used to practice, we were always looking through this country goods catalogue for inspiration and ideas," band member Henry McHenry said. "When we were trying to come up with a name we said, 'Let's consult the book!' We grabbed it and opened it and the two-page spread said, 'It's Hog Killin' Time!' in big fancy letters. On the left was featured a Hogscraper and on the right was featured the Morton's Meat Pump. We had two projects at the time so we named one Hogscraper and the other Meat Pump. Meat Pump was soon to die but Hogscraper rose to form a great and furious beast that rides throughout the land spreading demon dung in its wake. If only them folks knew the beast they unleashed with their instruments of death!"\nGreen Day\nGreen Day also began their musical careers under a different band name. Originally named "Sweet Children," the punk-rock band decided to change its name to Green Day in 1990. Billie Joe wrote the song "Green Day" about his first time smoking pot, which occurred in the basement of a Berkeley University building. \nZeLienople\nSometimes, a band doesn't find the name, the name finds the band. For Chicago rockers Zelienople, a busted car and some zombies made sure they found their name.\n"Two of the members of the band, were trying to get to Boston in a car that was on its last leg. We kept breaking down, and finally decided to turn back to Chicago when it broke down again in Zelienople, Penn.," band member Matt Christensen said. "We just liked the name. I was watching the remake of "Night of the Living Dead" and there's a scene where a radio broadcast is informing residents to seek shelter in Zelienople. Being a big Romero fan, this sold me as the band name."\nThe zombie movie connection has an added bonus, Christensen said. \n"I've always imagined us fitting into the soundtrack of a horror movie nicely."\n311\nThe band 311 actually created their name after a brush with the law. In Omaha, the police code for indecent exposure is 311. Band member, P-nut was skinny-dipping in a public pool with some friends and was caught by police. He was arrested, taken home to his parents, and received a citation for indecent exposure. Finding the situation humorous, the band chose 311 for its name. Through the years, the band has jokingly credited the name to various stories on how it was chosen to represent them, but now say they appreciate having an abstract name that does not define them. \nHockey Night\nMinnesota rock band Hockey Night takes its name from federal panic. "Hockey Night is actually a distress code phrase created by the U.S. government to indicate to trans-national corporations that it can no longer contain the will of its citizens," band member Paul Sprangers said. "In other words, it is an SOS if the people begin to organize effectively against private power."\nIncubus\nFor some bands, choosing a name takes no more effort than combing the pages of a dictionary. Hours before its first show, the band Incubus was desperately trying to come up with a name. Guitarist Mike Einziger began searching a dictionary and found the word "incubus," which is a mythological, evil spirit that violates women in their sleep. The band liked the word and has since made several successful albums under the name Incubus. (From www.rocknworld.com/nameorigins/)\nBackyard Tire Fire\nBackyard Tire Fire took its inspiration from classic pop culture. \n"Fans of 'The Simpsons' know all about the infamous, always burning Springfield Tire Fire," lead singer Ed Anderson said. "We thought about calling the band that, but went with Backyard because it rolled off the tongue a little easier. Not to mention we were living deep in the hills of North Carolina, where a backyard tire fire was not uncommon"
(07/14/05 2:11am)
Imagine picking up the newest album from the punk sensation "Sweet Children." Doesn't have much of a ring, does it? But if the same album is from "Green Day," it just has a little more punch. A good band name can be instrumental and some try many times to clear that hurdle before landing on the perfect name.\nBig Saturday\nBig Saturday's name was a struggle for the band, and the group went through several drafts before settling on a name. "The band name Big Saturday came from a long arduous process of trying to find something that didn't sound horrible," Big Saturday guitarist Whit Conway said.\n"How can a group decide on a word or a few words that are supposed to encapsulate everything the band represents musically and personally? How we came up with Big Saturday: We were playing a show tentatively named as 'The Way' or 'The Weigh,' we couldn't agree on which, in our friend's basement on a Saturday night. We had been playing these Saturday night party shows weekly for a while. Being a house party, there were always lots of people there, but this one time we had a really good amount of people paying more attention than usual to our group. After the show a fan who'd been there for the majority of the Saturdays we had played said, 'Man, you guys, this was a really big Saturday!'" \nThe name stuck.\nColdplay\nAfter the success of albums such as "X&Y" and "A Rush of Blood to the Head," it's tough to imagine that Coldplay was ever a struggling band. Before finally finding fame, the members of Coldplay actually tried breaking into the music scene under the name Starfish. Their friends in another band were actually the ones who first began using the name Coldplay. They took this name from a book written by Philip Horky titled "Child's Reflections, Cold Play." After they decided not to use the name anymore, Starfish asked for their permission to take on the name Coldplay.\nCats Walking Backwards\nThe origin of the name of Bloomington band Cats Walking Backwards is exactly what it sounds like: it was inspired by a cat walking backward.\n"I have a black male long-haired cat, Figment, that is somewhat of a terror, what with his mischief and all. I have developed a sixth sense that lets me know when he is about to do something wrong," guitarist Alex Hall said. "As a result, I can generally quell the trouble before it happens, often a trigger for Figment to have to take a few steps backward. The sight is a particularly humorous one, and was my inspiration for submitting the idea of 'Cats Walking Backwards' to the guys as a possible band name. They approved." \nFOO Fighters\nThe Foo Fighters looked to history and science to form their band name. In World War II, American pilots reported seeing strange balls of light over Germany. People who saw the balls referred to them as Foo Fighters or "Kraut Balls" and believed they were secret weapons of the Germans. People who study UFOs and alien abductions believed that the balls of light were actually extraterrestrial, because people who had reported being abducted by aliens mentioned seeing similar balls of light. \nHogscraper\nSatanic bluegrass band Hogscraper found its inspiration through farm-supply mass mailings. \n"Back in the old hole in the ground on Dixmyth where we used to practice, we were always looking through this country goods catalogue for inspiration and ideas," band member Henry McHenry said. "When we were trying to come up with a name we said, 'Let's consult the book!' We grabbed it and opened it and the two-page spread said, 'It's Hog Killin' Time!' in big fancy letters. On the left was featured a Hogscraper and on the right was featured the Morton's Meat Pump. We had two projects at the time so we named one Hogscraper and the other Meat Pump. Meat Pump was soon to die but Hogscraper rose to form a great and furious beast that rides throughout the land spreading demon dung in its wake. If only them folks knew the beast they unleashed with their instruments of death!"\nGreen Day\nGreen Day also began their musical careers under a different band name. Originally named "Sweet Children," the punk-rock band decided to change its name to Green Day in 1990. Billie Joe wrote the song "Green Day" about his first time smoking pot, which occurred in the basement of a Berkeley University building. \nZeLienople\nSometimes, a band doesn't find the name, the name finds the band. For Chicago rockers Zelienople, a busted car and some zombies made sure they found their name.\n"Two of the members of the band, were trying to get to Boston in a car that was on its last leg. We kept breaking down, and finally decided to turn back to Chicago when it broke down again in Zelienople, Penn.," band member Matt Christensen said. "We just liked the name. I was watching the remake of "Night of the Living Dead" and there's a scene where a radio broadcast is informing residents to seek shelter in Zelienople. Being a big Romero fan, this sold me as the band name."\nThe zombie movie connection has an added bonus, Christensen said. \n"I've always imagined us fitting into the soundtrack of a horror movie nicely."\n311\nThe band 311 actually created their name after a brush with the law. In Omaha, the police code for indecent exposure is 311. Band member, P-nut was skinny-dipping in a public pool with some friends and was caught by police. He was arrested, taken home to his parents, and received a citation for indecent exposure. Finding the situation humorous, the band chose 311 for its name. Through the years, the band has jokingly credited the name to various stories on how it was chosen to represent them, but now say they appreciate having an abstract name that does not define them. \nHockey Night\nMinnesota rock band Hockey Night takes its name from federal panic. "Hockey Night is actually a distress code phrase created by the U.S. government to indicate to trans-national corporations that it can no longer contain the will of its citizens," band member Paul Sprangers said. "In other words, it is an SOS if the people begin to organize effectively against private power."\nIncubus\nFor some bands, choosing a name takes no more effort than combing the pages of a dictionary. Hours before its first show, the band Incubus was desperately trying to come up with a name. Guitarist Mike Einziger began searching a dictionary and found the word "incubus," which is a mythological, evil spirit that violates women in their sleep. The band liked the word and has since made several successful albums under the name Incubus. (From www.rocknworld.com/nameorigins/)\nBackyard Tire Fire\nBackyard Tire Fire took its inspiration from classic pop culture. \n"Fans of 'The Simpsons' know all about the infamous, always burning Springfield Tire Fire," lead singer Ed Anderson said. "We thought about calling the band that, but went with Backyard because it rolled off the tongue a little easier. Not to mention we were living deep in the hills of North Carolina, where a backyard tire fire was not uncommon"
(07/14/05 1:38am)
"Dark Water," the most recent edition to the current wave of Japanese horror film remakes, is a standard ghost story that is not only superior to its original, but also both "The Ring" series and "The Grudge." This said, while "Dark Water" succeeds in thrills and a unique story line, it is far from being a perfect horror film. \nThe film stars Jennifer Connelly as Dahlia, a deeply troubled and recently divorced mother who is forced to move from her normal New York City life to a more reasonably priced apartment/housing project across the river. After moving in Dahlia begins to realize that the building may have its own severe problems. Ceiling leaks begin to appear and eventually grow in size, there are noises from the apartment above her which is supposed to be abandoned and the maintenance man (Pete Postlethwaite) doesn't seem give a damn about anyone, least of all Dahlia. To top this off, she is in a tough legal battle with her ex-husband (British actor Dougray Scott) for the custody of their young daughter Ceci (Ariel Gade, a possible future Dakota Fanning). \nAs the film slowly progresses, Dahlia begins to discover that the building has some dark, possibly supernatural secrets and the soiled water that keeps creeping into her apartment during the middle of the night is more than just a leak. Eventually, following in the footsteps of the previous films in this new genre, a creepy child appears who seems to be haunting the building and Dahlia, however, where this film succeeds is in how the ghost child is presented. Unlike "The Ring" series or "The Grudge," where the children have white makeup and sound like drowning cats, the ghost child in "Dark Water" is a normal looking child, who never really appears to be dangerous. \nFor the first 3/4 of film, "Dark Water" is an nice little psychological thriller dealing with Dahlia's struggle with her harsh childhood, her daughter's recent imaginary friend, as well as her desire to be an overall good mother -- something she lacked as a child. The film mimics other successful ghost stories like "The Devil's Backbone" and "The Others," with its building level of tension, but has its own style to it thanks to the creepy tinted water.\nThe film was directed by Brazilian director Walter Salles ("Central Station," "The Motorcycle Diaries,"), this being his first English-language film. Salles brings a dark style to this film that, I must say, the original Japanese version lacked. The cinematography is brilliant and makes Dahlia's building look like the housing project from hell. Connelly masters her character perfectly, which makes sense since she has a talent for playing depressed women. Other strong performances by John C. Reilly as the sleazy real estate agent and the extremely underused Tim Roth as Dahlia's lawyer help to take "Dark Water" to a level beyond most of the horror movies we see today. \nThe constant scares seen in "The Grudge," mainly by creepy white-faced children, is replaced by a slow moving, yet interesting storyline. While some people in the audience at the theater seemed disappointed -- possibly expecting more scares -- I was satisfied with "Dark Water." In the end of the film there are a few unanswered questions, and logistics in a horror film never make total sense, however the film succeeded in telling a decent, original ghost story where I actually felt something for Connelly's struggles.
(07/14/05 1:09am)
There are two kinds of scary movies for me. The first are movies like "Scream" or "I Know What You Did Last Summer" -- movies that keep you on the edge of your seat but you know realistically the events unfolding on the screen won't happen to you. The second, which is much better than the first, is the kind that are creepy like "Kiss the Girls" or "Hide and Seek." \nIn "Seek," Robert De Niro stars as David Callaway, a psychiatrist whose wife commits suicide at the beginning of the movie. To assist his daughter Emily, played by Dakota Fanning, in overcoming the trauma, they move to upstate New York. Upon moving to the country, Fanning develops an imaginary friend, "Charlie," to help her cope with the loss of her mother. "Charlie" begins to terrorize Fanning and De Niro, killing animals, causing Fanning to act out and writing disturbing messages in blood on the shower curtain. \nThis movie provides twists and turns for the viewers and just when you think you've figured out the inner workings of "Charlie," you find out you were wrong. The ending of the movie leaves you satisfied, yet there are certain details that keep you guessing.\nThe DVD of "Seek" provides viewers with four alternate endings to the original. The idea of four different endings makes me think of the choose-your-own-adventure books I read as a child. If you don't like the way the director chose to end the movie, you can always pick a different one. This is one feature of the DVD that I could do without. I am already an indecisive person, I don't need to have to make more choices, especially when I want to be entertained. \nLike most other DVDs, this one offers viewers commentary from the director and screenwriter, which prove to be helpful, especially to those movie buffs that are interested in the behind-the-scenes of movies and insight to director's thoughts. \nAlong with the alternate endings, there are 14 deleted/extended scenes for those who can't get enough of the psychological thriller. But for the most part, the extra scenes and alternates don't change the outcome or meaning of the movie.\n"Seek" might not be as scary as it was when viewed in the theater, but it definitely worth making a trip to the video store one night for a nice scare.
(07/14/05 1:01am)
Call me crazy, but sometimes I want my superheroes to act, well, super.\nSometimes I don't want to watch a multi-billionaire lose himself in the confusion of his chosen vigilante path. Sometimes I get tired of hearing Tobey Maguire unconvincingly whine about having both cool spider powers and the hot red-head next door.\nEvery once in a while, I just want to see good guys with cool superpowers beat the bad guys. And there should be some explosions and good-hearted chuckles along the way.\nThe beauty and fun of director Tim Story's "Fantastic Four" comes through its simplicity. In a movie market that has become flooded with comic book flicks it is somewhat refreshing to see a superhero movie that does not take itself too seriously.\nWhat the movie lacks in depth it makes up for with strong, clear characters. And while it has some poor dialogue and is rather predictable, it's still not a bad way to spend a hot summer afternoon.\nThe main strength of this movie is its characters. The beginning of "Fantastic Four" is devoted to trying to bring the viewer up-to-date with the storyline, which is somehow already in progress. Complete characters with full histories are introduced in quick succession before going on some space mission.\nFortunately, by the time they are bombarded by cosmic rays and developing superpowers, director Story has solidly built the characters with actions and dialogue. \nIn the style of the comic book, he foregoes trying to make dramatic changes within all the characters in a short two hours but instead explores the relationships between each and all of the major players.\nFans will for the most part be pleased with the accurate translations of the characters to the big screen. Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic), Jessica Alba (The Invisible Woman) and Chris Evans (The Human Torch) nail the comic characters perfectly. \nThough Michael Chiklis makes an excellent Ben Grimm, his Thing isn't physically large enough. But he earns major props and brings appropriate heart to the role by playing it in person instead of letting it be filled by a computer-generated Muppet.\nDoctor Doom (Julian McMahon) gets watered down in the movie adaptation, however. Like other major Marvel franchises "X-Men" and "Spider-Man," the "Fantastic Four" movie attempts to combine the classic comics with the more modernized, "Ultimate" series. But doing so sadly degrades Doom from a notorious supervillain to more of a tag-along friend that everybody else kind of hates.\nFor the casual viewer, you would want to see "Fantastic Four" for the same reasons you would want to see an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Sure, he won't be nominated for Best Actor, but it is still fun to watch the Governator romp around blowing things up.\nThe same goes for "FF." It's never going to win any Oscars. But what did you expect from a movie whose preview boasts "The Commish" running around in 60 lbs. of orange latex yelling that "it's clobberin' time"?
(07/07/05 4:00am)
Jam bands are becoming an increasingly popular site in bars and clubs. Everyone wants to be like Phish or Karl Denson. But what if you take a jam band, throw in some funk, a little soul and a touch of rock and roll? You get something original -- you get Percival Potts. \nMade up of four IU students and Bloomington residents, Percival Potts is breaking out of the Bloomington music scene and taking their act regional in hopes of someday making it to the national level.\n"Ideally, I'd like to stay with it as long as possible. To make it national would be a dream come true," lead guitarist senior Will Pierce said. \nPercival Potts, or P. Potts as it is known to fans, played its first show under the name on February 1, 2003 at Uncle Fester's. The inspiration for the band name came from the British scientist, Sir Percival Potts. According to band member senior Rob Reynolds, Potts studied chimney sweepers and their development of cancer. He discovered that cancer was dependent on the environment. The air coming from the carcinogens of the coal dust that the sweepers breathed in caused cancer to develop. Reynolds said he happened upon Potts one day and learned more about him. \n"We thought, wow, this is a hip guy, especially these days with the amount of chemicals that are in everything that we eat, breathe, drink. We want to promote something that will make you think as opposed to something that doesn't," he said.\n"It's also a question on the MCAT," Pierce said.\nThe band became what it is today when bass guitarist Kevin Boas joined in May 2003 and Pierce, joined in August 2004. Boas, an IU alumni and Bloomington resident, entered the band with a strong jazz background and is well known for his improvisational skills.\nPierce also brought a heavy jazz background to the band. He was a member of jazz band throughout high school and his father was a jazz guitarist. Currently, he is working towards a music informatics major. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Bela Fleck, music is a mainstay in Pierce's life and he says it is something he wishes to continue doing.\n"I rather make $10,000 a year playing music than $100,000 doing something else," Pierce said.\nReynolds takes the role as leader as vocalist/guitarist/keyboard and coronet player as well as composer of most the band's music and lyrics. Reynolds also picked up music at a young age. He had hopes of being a trumpet major in the IU School of Music until he blew his lip out in high school. Instead, he began playing piano, guitar, and teaching himself to sing by listening to greats such as Otis Redding, Motown and Stevie Wonder. Reynolds' persistent attitude and passion for music is what led him to start the band. \n"Dealing with music, I'm ready to rock n' roll for the next five, eight, ten years," Reynolds said. "I'm always writing. It's a constant process. Listening and writing. Trying to improve upon what you can do as a musician."\nSenior Neil Michalares met Reynolds about six years ago when he saw Reynolds playing in a band called Cova. Michalares told Reynolds he wanted to play drums for him someday. Taken up on his offer, Michalares is the second P.Potts original member. With a family background of percussion, Michalares took up the drums in high school and has played in bands ranging from heavy metal to punk. \nTogether these four personalities make up Percival Potts. They blend together to make the smooth, "groovin' danceable vocally intense music."\nBeing an upcoming band is not an easy task. It takes patience, hard work and determination -- it also takes money. With classes, practices and an extensive road schedule it was often difficult for the men of Percival Potts to find a job and work a lot of hours at that job. But nonetheless, they are passionate about making music and sharing it with others. Initially, the funding from the band came out of their pockets. They took their own cars to shows, paid for gas and saved by not staying overnight anywhere. Now, as their popularity rises, they have a band van they take to shows complete with TV and Play Station 2.\n"We use money from previous shows to pay for gas. We try and buy food and everything on the road with money from the band account, and then we split what is left when we get home. Most of the time, we're just breaking even, but we have a blast," Michalares said.\nLife on the road is still something Percival Potts is getting used to. At times, it can be quite taxing.\n"When we drive 5 hours there, 5 hours back, setup and tear down for 2 hours, and only play for 45 minutes, it feels a little like we're more in a moving company than a band," Michalares said.\nBut there are also perks to being a band traveling from venue to venue. Most places give Percival Potts free meals and drinks as well as a VIP area to relax in before the show. But more important is the reward of seeing the same people over and over again. As they go back to the same bars repeatedly, this becomes a more common occurrence. \n"Seeing people that come back even if it is like three or four people that are like 'We saw you last time in Chicago and we came back.' That's awesome," Pierce said.\nBooking shows regionally is largely dependent on the amount of work a band puts into it. It is Michalares' job to find gigs for Percival Potts. He said he makes calls to venues to see if they are accepting band promos. A promo usually consists of a CD and information about the band. After sending out a promo, Michalares waits a week or two before contacting the venue again and hopefully, setting up a date to play. It typically takes sending out five to ten promo packets for a three- or four-show tour. One of their first shows outside of Bloomington was a learning experience they won't soon forget.\n"One of the first (shows) was traveling to Lafayette to play the Lafayette Brew Company. We got there and they had free dinner for us, so each one of us got the most expensive thing on the menu and had a few beers apiece ... and only 7 people came out the whole night. Needless to say, they have never called us back."\nPercival Potts discovers new things about making it in the music world as their experience on the road grows. Pierce said the key to gaining popularity is not playing a lot of covers, but rather, doing your own thing and making a unique presence. He also said you just have to keep doing it. \n"The classic quote we hear at the bars out of town is 'it is usually busy, don't know, must be more of late-night crowd'," Pierce said. "You just have to stick with it."\n"It's about time and pressure. If you have the talent, people will come," Reynolds added.\nThis summer is an example of that mentality as the band is on the road almost every Friday and Saturday as well as some Thursday nights. They are trying to get their name out there and start a demand for CDs. \n"We'll practice when we can, usually Monday and Tuesday nights. Thursday we'll break everything down from the practice space and load it into the van, and either head up to Uncle Fester's at 8 p.m. or try and get on the road by 2 p.m. or so," Michalares said. "We stay at hotels or with friends we make, a lot of times we'll crash at people's houses who we've never met before. The rest of the weekend is driving, playing PS2, loading, unloading, setting up, tearing down or just chillin' in the bar. Cell phones keep us in touch with our friends, it's pretty cool when people call you up to see what you're doing and you say 'We're about to play this 50,000 person festival in Chicago and open for My Morning Jacket -- let me call you back in a couple hours'. Saturday nights we'll pack up and try and head home, get there by 7 or 8 a.m. so we can get some sleep."\nDespite this tough schedule, they all agreed that they would love to do this for the rest of their lives. "I'd love to be able to travel with these three other guys, record and play music for the rest of our lives," Michalares said.\nPercival Potts is working on their first CD, which will be released July 1st on the road and in August locally. Until then, you can check out the music of Percival Potts every other Thursday night at Uncle Fester's or catch them on the road or at www.percivalpotts.com.
(07/07/05 4:00am)
When I was young, I drove from California to Kentucky five times with my family. We took the southern route through Texas, and the northern route to see Mount Rushmore and the glaciers in Montana. I can still close my eyes and picture our old, tan Cadillac passing the icy tops of the Rockies. My dad usually drove non-stop through the night, so I was left to imagine what each state offered. Every state had its own personality setting it apart from what lied next door. Fortunately, there is one man that is exploring their stories until I get control of the wheel. \nSufjan Stevens, Michigan born singer-songwriter is working on a conquest consisting of epic proportions. What began with Greetings from Michigan, an intimate album that took listeners up north, Come on Feel the Illinoise is the second stop for the artist's lofty quest. Come on Feel the Illinois is part of a goal to create an album for all fifty states. Imagine visiting a state but in preparation for the trip you read up on history and local news to fully understand all of its secrets, and then leave with 22 tracks to share. \nFor Come on Feel the Illinois, Stevens takes listeners on an audible road trip. Piano and flutes gracefully begin the album and carry Stevens' lyrics about alien encounters, young stories of John Wayne and rejoicing stepmothers in Decatur. Come on Feel the Illinois definitely sounds much more grand than previous albums, so much that it sets its course with trumpets and chorus voices rising. However, through hums of string ensembles and thoughtful percussion, there still lies a boy from Michigan sharing poetic thoughts over wholesome banjo strumming. \nBefore entering "Chicago," a joyous track that recaps memories of trips to the windy city, Stevens inserts instrumental interludes. This theme repeats itself throughout the album easing listeners from one part of the state to another. Each song has a distinct feeling and mood, just like each town has its own identifiable character. Stevens explores his harder side with "The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts," with stronger drums and electric guitar intertwined with the same calming vocals. Then there are tear-worthy songs like "The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!" that sing of tragic loss, but their sweetness allows for hope.\nStevens is definitely taking on a lot, fifty to be exact, but already on his way to state three he has created an album that should reach well beyond natives of Illinois. It is an album that touches much further than main roads, and still never forgets its roots. So I say take his advice, and no time to be shy, Come On And Feel The Illinoise.
