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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Baseball's postseason began this week, and although the Seattle Mariners tied a Major League Baseball record with 116 wins, the team everyone is gunning for is the three-time defending champion New York Yankees. The Yanks are the epitome of a sports dynasty: they've won 26 World Series and the players that have worn their jerseys are the who's who of the Hall of Fame. New York is the bully who asks the kids if he can play, and then steals the ball. I am quite sure that had Sept. 11 been just another day, no one outside of the Bronx would be pulling for the Yankees to win for the fourth year in a row.\nIn sports, a team like the Yankees is called a dynasty, and other teams have to wait for that team to run its course. But in business, we have rules and laws set up to prevent such dynasties. We as Americans believe in "making your fortune" but when a corporation becomes a monopoly, we try to break it down. \nAOL/Time Warner, AT&T and Microsoft are all businesses whose power frightens many of us.\nThis kind of backlash to a superpower comes from one of the turning points in American history: the Revolutionary War. After all, who would have thought that 13 colonies would be able to defeat the massive force of a world power like Great Britain? This country was the biggest underdog of them all, but since 1776, we have grown into not just a world power, but the world power.\nLike many American ideals, there is hypocrisy with this love for the underdog. We are the dominant sports franchise. We are the giant corporation. People talk about Roman times. Well, we are living in American times, and it's time to recognize what that means to those who are not American. \nThe Gulf War ended when we forced Saddam Hussein into a cease-fire and got him out of Kuwait, but he is still in power. Why did we fight that war? Because his interests interfered with ours when our right to Kuwaiti oil was threatened. \nWe are now at war, and Osama bin Laden is our enemy only because of what he has done to us. As the president of the United States, George W. Bush has more power than any other man in the world. That means he has the most responsibility of any other man in the world. We share this world with many people, and when they have a problem, we have one, too.\n On Oct. 1, Time magazine put bin Laden on its cover. The headline read "TARGET: BIN LADEN." The media has made him the enemy, because he is the man accused of being responsible for some 6,000 deaths. He is someone we can point to and say "There is the enemy. There is the man who has caused us so much pain." \n But what if we kill bin Laden and all of his present followers tomorrow? Killing Hitler didn't end anti-Semitism, but it did make him an inspirational martyr for every skinhead and neo-Nazi. Bin Laden is not the root of this problem, just someone who sprouted from it. There is an expression that talks about winning the battle but losing the war. This war we are fighting is just the battle. How long it will take before we identify the war?
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Kevin Smith, the famed director of films including "Clerks" and "Dogma," spoke to a crowd of more than 3,200 Friday night in the IU Auditorium. The man, also known for his portrayal of Silent Bob in his films, spent close to four hours fielding questions on topics varying from independent filmmaking to which "Star Wars" character he would like to be.\nSince his 1994 debut "Clerks," Smith and his films have taken on cult status. He has written breakout roles for Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams and Jason Mewes, and has become a star portraying Silent Bob. His acting and direction are both simple and effective, but his real talent lies in his writing. Whenever anyone talks about his films, the words "witty dialogue" always seem to appear.\nThis skill for the sharp remark was apparent as soon as he opened his mouth Friday night. Smith received a standing ovation from the crowd and kept the mood light and festive as he spoke about his first Bloomington experience.\n"I'd never heard of Indiana University -- or Indiana, for that matter," he said.\nAfter some brief opening remarks, he opened it up to questions, allowing the audience to shape the direction of the show. That flow took it to interesting and sometimes inappropriate places, including one instance involving a student's absurd request to give Smith oral sex. The boisterous crowd quickly booed the student away from the microphone, as they did with any other people they didn't like, including one student who was doomed once he admitted that he was from Purdue. \nThe evening was filled with lots of laughs as Smith interacted with the crowd, even yelling at four people for leaving early. \nThe night's two high points involved Smith's cellular phone. The first came when he received a call from a friend of his -- Mewes, better known for his role as "Jay" in Smith's films. In a probably staged but definitely fun moment, Smith held the phone up to his microphone so Mewes could greet the crowd. \nA second great moment came when one student told Smith that he had quit (or been fired) from his job that night so he could attend the speech. At the behest of the pleading crowd, Smith talked to the student's boss and tried to get him his job back. Sadly, he was unsuccessful.\nSmith seemed at ease in the question-and-answer format, and he spoke longer between questions as the night went on, including a half-hour long story about his work shooting a documentary for Prince. On stage, he was a mix of his two most famous characters, Jay and Silent Bob -- his mannerisms were quiet and reserved and his words were dirty and funny. \nHe spoke about the production problems with ABC regarding "Clerks: the Animated Series" and how he and producer Scott Mosier agreed to take certain scenes out of his 1995 film "Mallrats." One scene the higher-ups felt would not be funny or well received by audiences was about a woman's hair standing straight up with the gelling power of some misplaced semen. Of course, a similar scene in 1998's "There's Something About Mary" is widely considered a comedy classic.\nSmith also spoke about the Catholic League's protests against "Dogma," protests that he and friend Bryan Johnson joined while holding a sign that said "Dogma is Dogshit." (One protester made Smith remove the last two letters of the last word.)\nThose in attendance may see themselves in a documentary DVD about Smith's lecture tours that was being filmed at the show. Although Smith left the Auditorium without signing autographs, fans left in high spirits.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Drug Abuse Resistance Education is an effective program that truly keeps kids off drugs. I'm a funny guy aren't I? You wanna make people laugh? Tell them that D.A.R.E. works. Anyone who spent a day with the D.A.R.E. officers knows the programs is nothing more than an amusing distraction from the mundane homework of middle school. The D.A.R.E. officers came equipped with stories meant to keep kids drug-free and well-adjusted. My favorite was the one about the boy and his "self-esteem balloon" that inflates and deflates with different events during his day. \nAlong with wasting student time, they also waste taxpayer money. A 1997 study based on a USA Today interview with D.A.R.E. America President and Founding Director Glenn Levant showed that $700-$750 million is spent on D.A.R.E. each year. This all for a program taught by police officers with only two weeks of drug education. Professional drug educators receive a four-year college degree on the subject.\nAside from D.A.R.E., there are the ridiculous anti-drug commercials. These usually featured some bully-like student lurking in the hallways who stalks smaller students offering them drugs that consist of a handful of colorful pills. The dealer then calls the student a chicken when he declines. In four years of high school and two years of college, I have never once met this dealer. In fact, when I tell kids that I don't drink, I'm not laughed at. Instead, students say "Really? That's awesome man." My decision to not drink has nothing to do with D.A.R.E., nor does the decision of any of my friends who do drink. Showing sixth-graders the film "Requiem for a Dream" once would do more than 13 years of D.A.R.E. from K-12.\nThe most recent and absurd anti-drug commercial is the one where the kid walks into a garage and hands a joint to the kid next to him. Each kid in the garage passes the joint until it gets back to the first kid, who puts it in his pocket and shrugs. (Wouldn't this kid be pumped that he doesn't have to share, and light up himself?)\nWhile much attention is given to drugs, little attention is given to race relations. The impression I got in school was that there was racism in America until the 1960s, when Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement ended it. There was never any talk of the less visible, but still destructive racism that exists today in institutions and people. The kids at my school growing up were smart enough to realize that there is still injustice all across America, but you might not have known that just from the curriculum.\nMen like Matt Hale, head of the World Church of the Creator, recruit kids into hate groups. Maybe it's time we educate youth about what's really going on in the world. Don't just ask what it means to be black in a white society, but also what it means to be white in a white society. That question is the most important of all because it is white people who have the power to change the system, a system that many of them do not see. It's time to open your eyes, and those of students.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
How High - R\nStarring: Method Man, Redman\nDirected by: Jesse Dylan\nShowing: Showplace West 12\nIn the spirit of Cheech and Chong comes "How High," a new comedy about two stoners who smoke some magical pot before taking their college entrance exams. They ace the tests, earn scholarships to Harvard and proceed to turn the prestigious school upside-down. \n"How High" has a "Dude, Where's My Car?" feel to it, which I thought was a good thing. There's something comforting about a movie that's all about having a good time, and surprisingly enough, Method Man and Redman are up to the task of carrying an entire film.\nThere is a good balance between the two characters: Redman's Jamal is a carefree, tail-chasing pot head, while Method Man's Silas is smart, tough and somewhat romantic. Both characters are either smoking or eating in every scene, and like the cult classic "Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke," there is never a serious moment.\nMuch like "Up in Smoke," "How High" doesn't have any specific plot or conflict that carries on from start to finish. Instead, it takes a lead from its two main characters, doing whatever it can to have fun and maintain a high spirit. There is a fun randomness to the film, like a scene where a group of kids at a house party cheer on a horse as it chugs beer. Like the cops in "Up in Smoke," "How High" has the disciplinarian Obba Babatunde (Dean Cain), and in both films, these foes become fun loving when our heroes get them high. The movie is not as funny as "Up in Smoke" but has the same kind of energy and attitude as its predecessor. \nThis is a perfect movie for a boring nothing-to-do Friday night in a buddy's basement. I dug it, and even watched it sober.\n
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Royal Tenenbaums - R\nStarring: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Houston \nDirected by: Wes Anderson\nShowing: Showplace East 11\nDirector Wes Anderson and co-writer Owen Wilson have become masters at creating awkward situations for their characters and their audiences. Their movies are filled with moments that would be funny if only we were sure they were a joke. But we're not sure, and that makes the moment funny and sad at the same time. \n"The Royal Tenenbaums," Anderson and Wilson's follow-up to 1998's "Rushmore," is a film about an odd family and their interactions with each other over the years. Their movies have been called "dark comedies," but unlike the Coen Brothers who use humor to make fun of murders, kidnappings and other crimes, Anderson and Wilson tell complex stories about complex people wrapped up in the humor and sadness of everyday life. \nIn the film, Gene Hackman plays Royal Tenenbaum, a man who returns from solitude to live with his family. He tells his estranged wife (Anjelica Houston) that he is dying, and by coincidence, his three children all encounter circumstances in which they too must return home. \nThe family is one of the most colorful I've ever seen in a movie. All three kids were troubled child prodigies: Chas (Ben Stiller) was a smart investor who made a fortune as a kid, Richie (Luke Wilson) was a pro tennis champ and their adopted sister Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) was a playwright. While growing up in their household, their mother honed and encouraged their skills and ambitions, while their father stoked their troubles and insecurities. \nThe movie is more focused than "Rushmore" but has a similar feel, and the entire cast, including Bill Murray, Danny Glover and Owen Wilson is brilliant. It would have been easy for the filmmakers to allow their characters to stay within the bounds of their unusual personalities, but each one is fleshed out into a real person, and this character development lifts the film from just a witty comedy to a great character study. It is, thus far, the best movie released in Bloomington this year.\n
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
I am Sam - PG-13\nStarring: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer\nDirected by: Jessie Nelson\nShowing: Showplace East 11\nSomewhere in "I Am Sam" there is a very compelling story. There is a story of a man with the intellectual capacity of a 7-year-old, and the struggles he faces raising his daughter. There is a story of a girl who will be smarter than her father by the time she gets to first grade, and the difficulties she will face in school and at home knowing that Daddy is "different" These two stories are played out in the film's first 35 minutes, at which point the filmmakers chose to abandon them in favor of a courtroom drama. It was an unfortunate decision, because it turned a very insightful and touching film into a frustrating yawner. \nSean Penn plays Sam Dawson, a man with a lower than normal IQ who is forced to take care of a daughter all by himself when the child's mother runs away just after she is born. It is later explained in the film that the mother was a homeless woman who just wanted a place to sleep. Sam raises Lucy (named after the Beatles' song) as best he can, and tries to operate under the advice of the Beatles: All you need is love. But while he has more than enough love, he does not always have the intelligence required to raise a child himself.\nGood intentions and a loving heart are not substitutes for food and a good place to sleep. But instead of showing all of these problems and how he and his daughter deal with them, the movie takes the easy way out by having lawyers and witnesses discuss how they feel Sam will deal with them.\nSean Penn does an outstanding job in this role, but unlike Tom Hanks in "Forrest Gump" or Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man," Penn is not surrounded by great writers, directors or actors. That makes it difficult for his talent to really be appreciated, and it was frustrating to see a great performance go to waste. It was also frustrating to sit through a film that chose to fill its soundtrack with poorly done remakes of great Beatles songs.\n
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Ghost World - R\nStarring: Thora Birch, Steve Buscemi\nDirected by: Terry Zwigoff\nAs DVDs go, there is nothing spectacular about the one for the film "Ghost World." With outstanding DVDs such as "Almost Famous," "Fight Club" and "Seven," as well as DVD box sets like "The Godfather Trilogy," the bar has been raised significantly. DVDs like "Ghost World" that only feature deleted scenes, trailers and a "making the film" are run-of-the-mill. The only reason to buy the DVD is for the film itself.\n"Ghost World" is the story of two disillusioned girls during the summer after their senior year in high school, and how they slowly split apart. It is not a movie with any special effects or action sequences, so the improved sound and picture that a DVD provides is basically inconsequential. There are only four deleted scenes, and they are pretty short, and you can tell right away why they were deleted. The trailers are standard, and there is a music video of sorts, but nothing mind-blowing. Unlike many other DVDs, "Ghost World" has no audio commentary tracks by the director or actors. There is, however, a making-of-Ghost World featurette, which is the best additional part of the DVD. It has interviews with director Terry Zwigoff, writer Daniel Clowes and stars Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi and Brad Renfro.\nEven though the features are kind of weak, the film stands by itself, and makes the movie well worth owning based on its merit alone. It is the second best film of last year. It is smart, funny, sad and most importantly, honest. Steve Buscemi has built a career around portraying odd, quirky characters, and the role of the pseudo-pathetic, record-collecting Seymour is right up there with some of his best work. It's not as far out as Mr. Pink from "Reservoir Dogs" or Carl Showalter from "Fargo," but it is overall the strongest performance of his career. Buscemi's performance is deserving of an Oscar nomination, and for this reason alone, the DVD is well worth a look, if not a purchase.\n
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
High Heat\nMajor League Baeball 2003\nRating: E for Everyone\nFor: Playstation 2, Gameboy Advance\nBy: 3DO\nThe best baseball game of last year was far and away "High Heat 2002." Thankfully, the game's makers didn't make any large changes for "High Heat 2003." Instead, they made small adjustments to fix "2002"'s mistakes, and have once again made an outstanding game.\nThe three most important aspects of sports games are gameplay, graphics and sports information. For whatever reason, the game of baseball translates very well into video game form. The batting, throwing, fielding and running are all very smooth. The only problem might be with base running, which is good but kind of hard. My roommate has no problems with it, so maybe it's just me. The graphics are dope, and the detail on the stadiums is incredible. The stadiums were good in "2002," but you couldn't change angles on the replays. "2003" allows you to look at the whole stadium. For outdoor stadiums, you can make the camera level even with the upper deck, go to the back fence and look down the street at buildings.\nThe game also has lots of little things that add realism. When the opposition hits a home run at Wrigley Field, the baseball is thrown back. If you hit consecutive batters, the umpire will toss your pitcher, and you can also get ejected for hitting someone after they hit you. The crowd is very realistic; it boos if the road pitcher tries endlessly to pick off a runner at first, and the stands empty during blowouts.\nAlong with exhibition, season and playoff modes, "2003" offers "2 on 2 Showdown," in which you play batter versus pitcher to practice hitting. You can create 25 players to use for season play, but you can also fully edit every player, which means fanatics with nothing else to do can have a season of all custom players. My only complaint is that it came out before the rosters were finalized, leaving some players unsigned and others on their old teams. However, this is combated two ways: 1. There is a list of players who weren't signed yet that you can place on a team. 2. If you've got proper equipment and you're smart, you can go online to www.sportplanet.com/highheat and download new players and pictures. All things considered, "High Heat Major League Baseball 2003" is hands down the best baseball game out right now.\n
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
A Season on the Brink - TV-Mature\nStarring: Brian Dennehy, James Lafferty\nDirected by: Robert Mandel\nPremiering: 8 p.m. Sunday \non ESPN and ESPN2 (edited for language)\nBob Knight is one of the most beloved, most controversial and least understood sports figures in the nation. His methods of motivation have been attacked by some and respected by others, but even his critics cannot argue against the fact that he is one of the greatest head coaches in the history of college basketball. In his 30 years at IU he amassed 763 wins (good for fifth all-time), 11 Big Ten Titles, five Final Fours and three National Titles. These are all impressive numbers and proof of his greatness. But for proof of his temper, you needn't look further than a list of transfers. More than 35 players left Bob Knight's Hoosiers, including nine since 1995. ESPN's "A Season on the Brink" looks at these aspects of Knight during the course of the 1985-86 season.\nThe film opens with Knight standing on Omaha Beach, speaking fondly of the D-Day invasion, setting him up as "The General" with a strong love for his country and a stronger love for discipline. It then ping-pongs between Knight's Gold-winning '84 Olympic Basketball Team, the chair-tossing incident and sound bites from loyal Hoosiers who love Coach Knight. Finally, we come to the '85-'86 season, one that ended with a sub-par record by Knight's standards and two students transferring. \nI had two big problems with this movie. First off, what was that season "on the brink" of? His firing, which came 14 years later? Another National Title, which came one year later? It's unclear. I would imagine that it's the former, and if I were ESPN, I would have made the movie about the 1999-00 season, his last at IU. That season featured the Neil Reed scandal, another first round NCAA exit and ended with his placement on the "Zero-Tolerance Policy" that would eventually lead to his firing. I understand that it's based on a book, but a film about his final season would have been more entertaining and meaningful. And they would not have lost the insight into Knight's explosive temper, softer private side or his relationships with and effects on his players. A modern setting also would have avoided the problems the filmmakers had with 1986 IU students who walk across campus wearing what appear to be North Face jackets. \nMy second problem was with Brian Dennehy, not for his performance but for his casting. Dennehy is a great actor, and is able to summon the rage necessary for Knight's outbursts. But he does not have that killer look in his eyes that Knight had. Looking at Bob Knight, I was never sure what he was going to do next. There was always a sense that he could blow up at any time. Dennehy's Knight is sadder, with less force, which is fine for his quiet scenes but feels untruthful in scenes with the media or in public outbursts such as the throwing of the chair. \nNot surprisingly, the movie was reminiscent of "Blue Chips," which drew parallels to Bob Knight. It is filmed in a pseudo-documentary style with "interviews" of Knight, former IU President John Ryan and townspeople who, for the most part, praise Knight as a coach and a man. The acting is pretty good, but the supporting characters are underdeveloped, and Dennehy's Knight doesn't have the presence that the real Knight seemed to have. Having seen "A Season on the Brink," I'd just as soon rent "Blue Chips" again.\n
(03/26/02 7:55am)
Back-to-back Russell Crowe movies named Best Picture? Are you kidding me? As usual, I'm pretty disappointed with the Best Picture winner, but that's the way it goes. Ron Howard's win and Ben Kingsley's loss were also annoying, and Whoopi -- while more tasteful than her last hosting duty in 1999 -- was not as funny Billy Crystal or Steve Martin. But this year's ceremony was not all bad. The Cirque du Soleil performance alone was worth tuning in for, as was the appearance of Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller. In fact, Sunday night's show featured many pleasant surprises and memorable moments, and so, here were my favorites.\n1. Denzel wins\nPerhaps more than any other great actor of our time, Denzel Washington's work has been ignored come Oscar time. His role as Rubin Carter in 1999's "The Hurricane" lost to Kevin Spacey, his role as Jake Shuttlesworth in 1998's "He Got Game" was not nominated and most shamefully of all, his incredible portrayal of Malcolm X in 1992 was nominated but not rewarded. Although I did not feel his performance in "Training Day" was better than Russell Crowe's in "A Beautiful Mind," I was very happy when he won, if only to make up for earlier undeserving losses. Washington lost in 1992 to Al Pacino, a make-up award for Pacino losing seven times previously. This year, he beat the more-deserving Crowe, who won last year undeservingly for "Gladiator." \n2. Woody shows up\nDoes Woody Allen spend time at home in front of a mirror doing imitations of himself? The legendary director seems more like the stereotype than a real person. Allen was the funniest part of Sunday night's program, providing more laughs than his most recent film. I was surprised he even showed up. He never had before, even though he's been nominated 20 times since 1977, when he won for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay.\n3. Halle Berry wins\nHalle Berry's victory for Best Actress was possibly most surprising to Berry herself, who was seen mouthing "Oh my God" over and over again before she tearfully spoke. Berry's emotion stemmed not just from her own personal accomplishment but rather from the greater cultural significance of being the first African-American woman ever named Best Actress. She immediately made note of that, and although her speech may have been longer than some would have wished, it was worth every minute.\n4. Poitier Tribute\nOn the night when Berry was the first black actress to win Best Actress and Washington was the second black actor to win Best Actor, Sidney Poitier -- the first black man ever named Best Actor -- was given an honorary Oscar for his work. A group of actors and actresses gave tribute to Poitier's influence on them and on America's view of African-Americans in film. That was followed by Poitier's touching speech and was capped off when he stood to salute Washington's win.\n5. New York Film Tribute\nNew York City has been the backdrop to countless films, and on a night that asked the question "What do films mean to you?" the clip show of New York movies helped show what the city means to more than eight million people. In light of Sept. 11, the clips took on an extra significance.
(03/22/02 4:50am)
\"When you think about it, nothing makes sense in awards." -- David Lynch
(03/06/02 5:00am)
A Season on the Brink - TV-Mature\nStarring: Brian Dennehy, James Lafferty\nDirected by: Robert Mandel\nPremiering: 8 p.m. Sunday \non ESPN and ESPN2 (edited for language)\nBob Knight is one of the most beloved, most controversial and least understood sports figures in the nation. His methods of motivation have been attacked by some and respected by others, but even his critics cannot argue against the fact that he is one of the greatest head coaches in the history of college basketball. In his 30 years at IU he amassed 763 wins (good for fifth all-time), 11 Big Ten Titles, five Final Fours and three National Titles. These are all impressive numbers and proof of his greatness. But for proof of his temper, you needn't look further than a list of transfers. More than 35 players left Bob Knight's Hoosiers, including nine since 1995. ESPN's "A Season on the Brink" looks at these aspects of Knight during the course of the 1985-86 season.\nThe film opens with Knight standing on Omaha Beach, speaking fondly of the D-Day invasion, setting him up as "The General" with a strong love for his country and a stronger love for discipline. It then ping-pongs between Knight's Gold-winning '84 Olympic Basketball Team, the chair-tossing incident and sound bites from loyal Hoosiers who love Coach Knight. Finally, we come to the '85-'86 season, one that ended with a sub-par record by Knight's standards and two students transferring. \nI had two big problems with this movie. First off, what was that season "on the brink" of? His firing, which came 14 years later? Another National Title, which came one year later? It's unclear. I would imagine that it's the former, and if I were ESPN, I would have made the movie about the 1999-00 season, his last at IU. That season featured the Neil Reed scandal, another first round NCAA exit and ended with his placement on the "Zero-Tolerance Policy" that would eventually lead to his firing. I understand that it's based on a book, but a film about his final season would have been more entertaining and meaningful. And they would not have lost the insight into Knight's explosive temper, softer private side or his relationships with and effects on his players. A modern setting also would have avoided the problems the filmmakers had with 1986 IU students who walk across campus wearing what appear to be North Face jackets. \nMy second problem was with Brian Dennehy, not for his performance but for his casting. Dennehy is a great actor, and is able to summon the rage necessary for Knight's outbursts. But he does not have that killer look in his eyes that Knight had. Looking at Bob Knight, I was never sure what he was going to do next. There was always a sense that he could blow up at any time. Dennehy's Knight is sadder, with less force, which is fine for his quiet scenes but feels untruthful in scenes with the media or in public outbursts such as the throwing of the chair. \nNot surprisingly, the movie was reminiscent of "Blue Chips," which drew parallels to Bob Knight. It is filmed in a pseudo-documentary style with "interviews" of Knight, former IU President John Ryan and townspeople who, for the most part, praise Knight as a coach and a man. The acting is pretty good, but the supporting characters are underdeveloped, and Dennehy's Knight doesn't have the presence that the real Knight seemed to have. Having seen "A Season on the Brink," I'd just as soon rent "Blue Chips" again.\n
(02/28/02 5:00am)
High Heat\nMajor League Baeball 2003\nRating: E for Everyone\nFor: Playstation 2, Gameboy Advance\nBy: 3DO\nThe best baseball game of last year was far and away "High Heat 2002." Thankfully, the game's makers didn't make any large changes for "High Heat 2003." Instead, they made small adjustments to fix "2002"'s mistakes, and have once again made an outstanding game.\nThe three most important aspects of sports games are gameplay, graphics and sports information. For whatever reason, the game of baseball translates very well into video game form. The batting, throwing, fielding and running are all very smooth. The only problem might be with base running, which is good but kind of hard. My roommate has no problems with it, so maybe it's just me. The graphics are dope, and the detail on the stadiums is incredible. The stadiums were good in "2002," but you couldn't change angles on the replays. "2003" allows you to look at the whole stadium. For outdoor stadiums, you can make the camera level even with the upper deck, go to the back fence and look down the street at buildings.\nThe game also has lots of little things that add realism. When the opposition hits a home run at Wrigley Field, the baseball is thrown back. If you hit consecutive batters, the umpire will toss your pitcher, and you can also get ejected for hitting someone after they hit you. The crowd is very realistic; it boos if the road pitcher tries endlessly to pick off a runner at first, and the stands empty during blowouts.\nAlong with exhibition, season and playoff modes, "2003" offers "2 on 2 Showdown," in which you play batter versus pitcher to practice hitting. You can create 25 players to use for season play, but you can also fully edit every player, which means fanatics with nothing else to do can have a season of all custom players. My only complaint is that it came out before the rosters were finalized, leaving some players unsigned and others on their old teams. However, this is combated two ways: 1. There is a list of players who weren't signed yet that you can place on a team. 2. If you've got proper equipment and you're smart, you can go online to www.sportplanet.com/highheat and download new players and pictures. All things considered, "High Heat Major League Baseball 2003" is hands down the best baseball game out right now.\n
(02/13/02 5:00am)
Ghost World - R\nStarring: Thora Birch, Steve Buscemi\nDirected by: Terry Zwigoff\nAs DVDs go, there is nothing spectacular about the one for the film "Ghost World." With outstanding DVDs such as "Almost Famous," "Fight Club" and "Seven," as well as DVD box sets like "The Godfather Trilogy," the bar has been raised significantly. DVDs like "Ghost World" that only feature deleted scenes, trailers and a "making the film" are run-of-the-mill. The only reason to buy the DVD is for the film itself.\n"Ghost World" is the story of two disillusioned girls during the summer after their senior year in high school, and how they slowly split apart. It is not a movie with any special effects or action sequences, so the improved sound and picture that a DVD provides is basically inconsequential. There are only four deleted scenes, and they are pretty short, and you can tell right away why they were deleted. The trailers are standard, and there is a music video of sorts, but nothing mind-blowing. Unlike many other DVDs, "Ghost World" has no audio commentary tracks by the director or actors. There is, however, a making-of-Ghost World featurette, which is the best additional part of the DVD. It has interviews with director Terry Zwigoff, writer Daniel Clowes and stars Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi and Brad Renfro.\nEven though the features are kind of weak, the film stands by itself, and makes the movie well worth owning based on its merit alone. It is the second best film of last year. It is smart, funny, sad and most importantly, honest. Steve Buscemi has built a career around portraying odd, quirky characters, and the role of the pseudo-pathetic, record-collecting Seymour is right up there with some of his best work. It's not as far out as Mr. Pink from "Reservoir Dogs" or Carl Showalter from "Fargo," but it is overall the strongest performance of his career. Buscemi's performance is deserving of an Oscar nomination, and for this reason alone, the DVD is well worth a look, if not a purchase.\n
(01/30/02 5:00am)
I am Sam - PG-13\nStarring: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer\nDirected by: Jessie Nelson\nShowing: Showplace East 11\nSomewhere in "I Am Sam" there is a very compelling story. There is a story of a man with the intellectual capacity of a 7-year-old, and the struggles he faces raising his daughter. There is a story of a girl who will be smarter than her father by the time she gets to first grade, and the difficulties she will face in school and at home knowing that Daddy is "different" These two stories are played out in the film's first 35 minutes, at which point the filmmakers chose to abandon them in favor of a courtroom drama. It was an unfortunate decision, because it turned a very insightful and touching film into a frustrating yawner. \nSean Penn plays Sam Dawson, a man with a lower than normal IQ who is forced to take care of a daughter all by himself when the child's mother runs away just after she is born. It is later explained in the film that the mother was a homeless woman who just wanted a place to sleep. Sam raises Lucy (named after the Beatles' song) as best he can, and tries to operate under the advice of the Beatles: All you need is love. But while he has more than enough love, he does not always have the intelligence required to raise a child himself.\nGood intentions and a loving heart are not substitutes for food and a good place to sleep. But instead of showing all of these problems and how he and his daughter deal with them, the movie takes the easy way out by having lawyers and witnesses discuss how they feel Sam will deal with them.\nSean Penn does an outstanding job in this role, but unlike Tom Hanks in "Forrest Gump" or Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man," Penn is not surrounded by great writers, directors or actors. That makes it difficult for his talent to really be appreciated, and it was frustrating to see a great performance go to waste. It was also frustrating to sit through a film that chose to fill its soundtrack with poorly done remakes of great Beatles songs.\n
(01/16/02 5:00am)
Royal Tenenbaums - R\nStarring: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Houston \nDirected by: Wes Anderson\nShowing: Showplace East 11\nDirector Wes Anderson and co-writer Owen Wilson have become masters at creating awkward situations for their characters and their audiences. Their movies are filled with moments that would be funny if only we were sure they were a joke. But we're not sure, and that makes the moment funny and sad at the same time. \n"The Royal Tenenbaums," Anderson and Wilson's follow-up to 1998's "Rushmore," is a film about an odd family and their interactions with each other over the years. Their movies have been called "dark comedies," but unlike the Coen Brothers who use humor to make fun of murders, kidnappings and other crimes, Anderson and Wilson tell complex stories about complex people wrapped up in the humor and sadness of everyday life. \nIn the film, Gene Hackman plays Royal Tenenbaum, a man who returns from solitude to live with his family. He tells his estranged wife (Anjelica Houston) that he is dying, and by coincidence, his three children all encounter circumstances in which they too must return home. \nThe family is one of the most colorful I've ever seen in a movie. All three kids were troubled child prodigies: Chas (Ben Stiller) was a smart investor who made a fortune as a kid, Richie (Luke Wilson) was a pro tennis champ and their adopted sister Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) was a playwright. While growing up in their household, their mother honed and encouraged their skills and ambitions, while their father stoked their troubles and insecurities. \nThe movie is more focused than "Rushmore" but has a similar feel, and the entire cast, including Bill Murray, Danny Glover and Owen Wilson is brilliant. It would have been easy for the filmmakers to allow their characters to stay within the bounds of their unusual personalities, but each one is fleshed out into a real person, and this character development lifts the film from just a witty comedy to a great character study. It is, thus far, the best movie released in Bloomington this year.\n
(01/09/02 5:00am)
How High - R\nStarring: Method Man, Redman\nDirected by: Jesse Dylan\nShowing: Showplace West 12\nIn the spirit of Cheech and Chong comes "How High," a new comedy about two stoners who smoke some magical pot before taking their college entrance exams. They ace the tests, earn scholarships to Harvard and proceed to turn the prestigious school upside-down. \n"How High" has a "Dude, Where's My Car?" feel to it, which I thought was a good thing. There's something comforting about a movie that's all about having a good time, and surprisingly enough, Method Man and Redman are up to the task of carrying an entire film.\nThere is a good balance between the two characters: Redman's Jamal is a carefree, tail-chasing pot head, while Method Man's Silas is smart, tough and somewhat romantic. Both characters are either smoking or eating in every scene, and like the cult classic "Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke," there is never a serious moment.\nMuch like "Up in Smoke," "How High" doesn't have any specific plot or conflict that carries on from start to finish. Instead, it takes a lead from its two main characters, doing whatever it can to have fun and maintain a high spirit. There is a fun randomness to the film, like a scene where a group of kids at a house party cheer on a horse as it chugs beer. Like the cops in "Up in Smoke," "How High" has the disciplinarian Obba Babatunde (Dean Cain), and in both films, these foes become fun loving when our heroes get them high. The movie is not as funny as "Up in Smoke" but has the same kind of energy and attitude as its predecessor. \nThis is a perfect movie for a boring nothing-to-do Friday night in a buddy's basement. I dug it, and even watched it sober.\n
(12/04/01 4:48am)
I'm thinking of an NBA player. Tell me when you know who he is.\nThis point guard is in his fourth year out of college, and was traded in the off-season for being too erratic. He's often described as a "flashy showboat" who would rather make a pass behind his back and off of his elbow than make an easy pass to help his team. Although his passes excite the crowd, they often confuse his teammates. \nHis assist-to-turnover ratio, is 2.2-1. In comparison, John Stockton of the Utah Jazz -- a future Hall-of-Famer -- averages close to 4 assists for every turnover. He helped lead his team to the postseason in his first three years, but his coaches did not feel comfortable leaving him in during a close game. He was suspended in college for marijuana violations and did not finish school. He has tattoos, a shaved head, a baggy uniform and a dirty mouth. \nFor those of you who don't know, the player is Jason Williams of the Memphis Grizzlies. Even though he is a streaky player who thrives more on style than substance, he is very popular. There is another player in the NBA whose physical appearance rivals Williams's. He is Allen Iverson, the defending league MVP.\nIverson is fast and tough, a great player and great leader who almost single-handedly took his team to the NBA Finals last year. But when Sports Illustrated put him on their cover April 23, 2001, the magazine received hundreds of hate mail letters for putting such a "thug" on their cover. Iverson is black, Williams is white. It's one of their few physical differences, but it seems to speak louder than any thing else.\nWilliams's popularity and play can be easily summed up by his nickname: "White Chocolate." Any black player who played professional basketball like a video game and didn't make his teammates better would have been dismissed as an "uncoachable street-balling thug" long ago, but Williams's unconventional play for a white guy seems to override those labels. Other white people have benefited from this stereotype crossover as well. Elvis, Eminem, New Kids on the Block, and Giants cornerback Jason Sehorn (the league's only white corner) are just a few. \nWhat is it about white guys who excel in areas of life stereotypically reserved for blacks? Why are they embraced by the white community more easily than their black counterparts? Maybe it's because of some kind of "fish out of water" symptom. \nThat is part of it, but when blacks excel in stereotypical white areas, they are not embraced. Take the NFL for example, where until recently most highly-touted black college quarterbacks were converted into running backs, wide receivers, or corners, positions that require more athleticism and less mental capacity than QBs. Even now, players like Donovan McNabb and Daunte Culpepper are commended more for their physical ability (which granted they do have a lot of) than their decision-making ability.\nIt could be that it's just a case of what's cool and what's not. Pop culture today is dominated by hip-hop, and so it's natural for whites to take a liking to a white guy who "acts black." I think there's more to it than that. People say that we must become "color-blind" in order to achieve racial harmony. But how can you be blind to something that, for many people, defines the way people and situations are judged? True color blindness is impossible today because color is all around us. People who think that color blindness is an option are trying to look at a problem with their eyes closed.
(11/27/01 5:05am)
At the tail end of my drive back to school Sunday night, I saw something really disturbing. It wasn't a picture of Ground Zero, or Osama with an assault rifle, or Laura Bush saying how she did not realize that America was vulnerable. Driving south on College Avenue I saw these words printed on a sign at the Budget Rent-a-Car: FLY YOUR FLAGS. DRIVE OUR CARS." \nThis is not the first time I've seen someone trying to cash in on Sept. 11. About two weeks ago, I saw a commercial for a commemorative coin. The coin was adorned with the Twin Towers and an American flag, and it was immediately called a "collectable." Also, the nice people distributing the coin lowered their original price so that every American could own one and "do their part." I felt sick.\nI understand that we are a nation built on capitalism and a person's ability to make as much money as possible. I understand that right now we are a nation with a struggling economy, and there is a need to give that economy a jumpstart. I don't mind seeing the travel industries encouraging people to return to the skies in an effort to return to normalcy and to live without fear. I don't mind businesses showing support to those who were directly affected by the attacks. I don't even mind the endless montages of flags, people and sad music, even though they're getting a little old. What I do mind is when people try to capitalize on a tragedy for their own personal gain. \nIs this really what our country is about? \nIt was only two months ago that Americans were looking at each other with a kind heart. People smiled together and understood each other's pain. I think we understood each other not just as Americans, but more importantly, as humans. Now, as the healing process moves on, we've "returned to normalcy" to a fault. I wonder how the al Qaeda members would react to something like this. How truly ironic it is that one of our responses to the attacks -- attacks that were set off by a group of people's dislike for our way of life -- was to prove to the terrorists that, "Yes, we do care more about our money and our system than our people." Osama and his buddies are either laughing or cringing.\nIt is important to go on with life, and to return to some semblance of normalcy. But when I see signs like the one posted at Budget, I am embarrassed to call myself American. Growing up, I was always taught to question what I see, but I was also taught to believe in America and American ideals. I don't have any problems with capitalism, but a system is only as good as the people who run it. There is a time and a place for everything, and it is time that we step back from our way of life and really examine it. Obviously nobody deserved to die on Sept. 11, but maybe our country did need some sort of a wake up call to return to the human race. For years and years, Americans have been running from goal to goal and gold to gold like horses wearing blinders. We rarely recognize the effects that our actions have on other Americans, much less on the rest of the world. Maybe a return to normalcy is not the best way to go.
(11/20/01 3:56am)
I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to Thanksgiving. It is, in my opinion, the greatest holiday that does not involve my birthday. Between food, football, friends and family, it is everything that a holiday should be. It is one of the highlights of what I consider to be the best stretch of the year: Halloween to the last day of winter break.\nAlthough it was the 19th time I'd celebrated the holiday, I anticipated last year's Thanksgiving more than any that preceded it. It was my first one for which I had to return home. I had been home three times already before that, but with my friends all in school, it didn't feel as much like home. Now I was going home, and it was going to be like I had remembered it. I got home early Wednesday morning, visited my high school, took a nap, went out with my buddies and went to bed thinking about the next day.\nThe day starts with football. My brother, my friends and I gather for the annual Turkey Bowl, which we've been playing more than 10 years. Like last year, this year's game takes on added significance because it is the first time since August that I have been with all of my best friends. The game is fun and at times intense, and even though there are two teams, I've always felt like there was just one. We play until we're tired and sore, (particularly me, since I'm the smallest), and then we go home to shower up and get ready for dinner.\nThe moment my brother and I get home from the game, there is a great calm in the house. I usually let him shower first, because I like to sit down and check out the football games. Sure the Bears don't play on Thanksgiving every year, but over the years I've come to enjoy seeing Detroit and Dallas as hosts to games. I like seeing all of the little kids talk about what they eat for Thanksgiving dinner. And of course there is John Madden's freakish mutant turkey whose legs he distributes to the best players of the Detroit game.\nThe games end and dinner begins. Dinner is served at our dining room table with my grandparents, my parents, my brother and other friends and family. Over the years, our group has grown smaller because of people moving away and dinner schedules clashing. I remember being upset that I wasn't going to see certain family members for my favorite holiday, but over the years I've realized how fortunate and blessed I am to be surrounded by those with whom I will eat dinner Thursday.\nAfter dinner, everyone is happy. The house is now quiet, filled with small stories of years past, as well as coffee and cake. Couches and chairs are filled as everyone in the house talks, laughs and listens. One by one, people leave the house, and while there is a tinge of sadness that we must wait a year for another Thanksgiving, the overall mood is one of joy.\nEver since Sept. 11, people have been looking for a break from mourning and a return to normalcy. I have a feeling that in the wake of our national tragedy, the saying "There's no place like home" will be truer than ever. I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving, and hope it will be the break that we all need.