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(09/17/08 10:30pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fresh off their brilliant, Oscar-winning “No Country For Old Men,” the Coen brothers return to what they have historically done best: making entertaining movies with over-the-top hair-do’s, over-the-top plots and over-the-top characters. Although the plot is as odd as any in their previous outings, the movie, more than any other Coen brothers film, succeeds solely on the back of its all-star cast, which includes George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton and John Malkovich.It’s hard to say who actually stars in the movie, since each actor gets their fair share of screen time. That being said, Frances McDormand and Pitt play health trainers Linda Litzke and Chad Feldheimer, who stumble across a disc of what they think are top-secret files from ex-CIA analyst Osbourne Cox (Malkovich). After their attempt to get a reward from Osbourne fails, they result to blackmail and once again, fail tremendously – and hilariously.Swinton plays Osbourne’s soon to be ex-wife who is cheating on him with Clooney’s Harry Pfarrer, a sex addict who is actually cheating on his wife with not only Swinton but McDormand as well. Got that? It’s actually a lot simpler than it seems on paper. The movie even pokes fun at these ridiculous entanglements with a subplot involving a CIA executive explaining to his boss (a perfectly cast and hilarious J.K. Simmons) what is going on midway through the film and at the end. “They um, all seem to be sleeping with each other, sir,” the executive explains. This subplot, which only takes up about six minutes of the movie, is some of the most gut-busting six minutes I’ve seen in some time. The movie does have its flaws, however. It starts off way too slow and ends too abruptly. It’s also ironic and a bit unfortunate to see that the funniest scenes involve relative unknowns.In the filmography of Coen Bros. movies, “Burn After Reading” is not as funny as “The Big Lebowski,” nor is it as clever as “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” but thankfully, it’s not as hit-and-miss as “Intolerable Cruelty.” Instead, it’s consistently smirk-inducing with more than a few belly laughs.After a movie like “No Country,” which had such a subtle and important message, it’s interesting to see the directors do a complete 180 by crafting a movie whose only apparent message is that everyone is amazingly dim-witted. But luckily for the audience, sometimes dim-witted can be very funny.
(09/11/08 12:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rodney Crowell could be viewed as the noncountry fan’s favorite country singer. Although artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and Tom Petty are just to the right of country music, safely located in southern rock territory, Rodney Crowell could probably be placed just to the left. Although country fans undoubtedly enjoy his music, fans of folk, bluegrass and even stripped-down blues should like his new album Sex & Gasoline as well.Known more as an accomplished songwriter throughout most of the ’80s, Crowell achieved real fame in 1988, thanks to the multiple Grammy awards he won for his critically acclaimed album Diamonds & Dirt. His popularity may have peaked with Diamonds, but he has since gone back to accomplished songwriting.Those who know little about Crowell will find it easy to get to know him just by listening to 20 seconds of any random song. Although his obvious impressions of Bob Dylan and Tom Petty is at first almost laughable, the lyrics and subjects of the songs themselves are impressive and demand the respect of the listener.The title track has Crowell singing to a woman about the shape America has been in for quite some time: “Come on girl, genuflect to nude magazines / This mean old world runs on sex and gasoline.” The song kicks off the album well not only because it follows a catchy and dirty blues progression, but also because it lets the listener know what to expect in the following tracks.And although many tracks do indeed have Crowell singing about the state of the world and his own shortcomings (like on “I’ve Done Everything I Can” and “The Rise and Fall of Intelligent Design”), the casual listener will enjoy less reflective songs like “I Want You #35” “Who Do You Trust,” and “Funky and the Farm Boy.” Unlike some of the others, these tracks are effortlessly catchy and showcase Crowell’s aptitude of writing less complex, but still pleasing tunes.Bob Dylan and Tom Petty fans may find it hard to get over the painfully obvious impression, but on a deeper surface, Crowell’s talent is equally obvious, making Sex & Gasoline listenable.
(09/03/08 10:11pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Often, when a music label releases a bunch of posthumous albums of a dead singer, they’re just trying to squeeze some money out of the pockets of die-hard fans. The albums are usually hastily thrown together, the sound quality is sub-par, and the tunes themselves are not up to standard.But the release of Eva Cassidy’s album Somewhere is quite a different story. Cassidy failed to achieve much success or recognition until after she died of melanoma in 1996 and her famous version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” was released. The producers of this new album have clearly done her memory justice. Somewhere compiles an album die-hard fans as well as casual listeners of folk, blues, jazz, gospel and R&B will enjoy.Somewhere contains Cassidy’s patented reinterpretations of covers along with a few never-released songs recorded for a live audience that have since been enhanced in the studio.The album opens with Cassidy’s slower versions of Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” and Robert Burns’ “My Love is Like a Red Red Rose.” One assumes that the producers decided to open with these tunes to showcase Cassidy’s beautiful, silky voice right off the bat in the hopes of reeling in new fans. The songs are fine and Cassidy’s talent is obvious, but they would have been smarter to open the record with the bluesy, horn-blaring “Ain’t Doin’ Too Bad,” a much more upbeat tune and arguably the best song on the album. This pace continues with the best “Chain of Fools” cover I’ve ever heard and “Won’t Be Long,” a fantastic R&B song that recalls Ray Charles.Indeed, these three songs alone are worth paying the album price. Luckily, there are more great tracks, most notably the Patsy Cline song “Walkin’ After Midnight,” the English folk track “Early One Morning,” and the chilling cover of George Gershwin’s “Summertime.” Even nonfans of the slower tunes can’t deny Cassidy’s astonishingly beautiful voice.Somewhere will most definitely keep long-time Cassidy fans interested and attract newcomers to a great talent who left us way too early.
(05/28/08 8:53pm)
\nHe’s older, he’s wiser, but luckily for fans, he’s still a blast. It’s been nineteen years since he’s been on the big screen, but Dr. Jones (Harrison Ford) still packs the same punch as in the now inappropriately-titled "The Last Crusade." \nWhen we last left Indiana, it was 1938 and he was busy fighting off Nazis for ownership of the Holy Grail. In a smart move by the makers, "Crystal Skull" acknowledges this passage of time by taking place in 1957. Now, it’s the communists Indiana has to deal with. \nAfter being fired from his job as a university professor, Indiana’s now quiet life is disrupted when a young greaser named Mutt comes along with a proposition: help Mutt rescue his mother, and Indy could have a chance to discover the Crystal Skull of Akator. Like all of the "Indiana Jones" sequels, this plot is merely an excuse for extended chase scenes and things that go "boom," but it provides a lot of fun along the way. \nShia LaBeouf, who portrays Indy’s new sidekick, Mutt, continually holds his own with Ford and creates a unique stamp for a clichéd character. However, while Ford and LaBeouf show some great chemistry, fans who are hoping for the same magical chemistry as was between Ford and Sean Connery in "Last Crusade" will be disappointed. That being said, when Karen Allen (reprising her role as Marion Ravenwood from "Raiders of the Lost Ark") shows up halfway through, the movie picks up significantly in both pace and spirit. I had a smirk on my face listening to Indiana, Marion and Mutt bicker in the midst of fantastic jungle chases and escapes from Mayan tribes. \nBesides a very fresh take on the star’s age, the film doesn’t really give fans anything new, and that’s just fine. With a series as beloved as this, it would be silly to follow any motto besides, "Don’t fix what ain’t broken."\nI can’t really see any fan of the previous movies not enjoying this one, as long as you don’t expect it to be as revolutionary as "Raiders" was. Similar to the other Indy films, it has its faults but is also undeniably fun to watch. While its star has gotten older, watching an Indiana Jones movie hasn’t.
(04/23/08 1:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coming seemingly out of nowhere, Lady Antebellum has recently taken the country-music world by storm. The trio, made up of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood has already been nominated for “Top New Group” at the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards. They’ve served as the opener for Martina McBride’s 2008 tour and have also opened for acts such as Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood.The trio invokes a contemporary country sound and they seem intent on making sure the energy level is somewhat high throughout their self-titled album. In fact, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Things People Say” and “All We’d Ever Need” are the only thoroughly slow songs on the entire 11-track set.The slower songs aren’t terrible, but it’s apparent that they’re more comfortable using faster-paced, upbeat styles where Scott and Kelley can use their talented voices to create a gentle, crisp harmony. The lead singers easily transition between being lead and backup vocalist throughout the album. Each singer is capable of effectively commanding a song.Their hit single, “Love Don’t Live Here,” which is on the verge of cracking the top 10 on the country charts, opens the self-titled album. Like most debut albums, there’s a reason it’s the opening song and the first released single: It’s the best song on the album, being both ridiculously catchy and having the best lyrics. “You have the nerve to just waltz right in and think what’s mine is yours again,” Kelley sings about a girlfriend who broke up with him and wants him back.That being said, “Lookin’ For A Good Time,” which immediately follows the opening track, is actually more of a fun song to listen to and would undoubtedly be the best song to play at a bar.The rest of the album follows a pretty generic country routine of including a few upbeat tracks followed by a token ballad, which is fine, but a little tired. Luckily for listeners (and to the band’s credit), the tracks within this routine are still catchy and satisfying.As a guy who doesn’t listen to country often, Lady Antebellum deserves a lot of credit for making a fan of me. And for the country music world, a word of advice: Keep your eyes on this group.
(04/16/08 4:44pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Often viewed as the working-class symbol of indie rock, Ike Reilly has established an extremely loyal and relatively large fan base. His use of Dylanesque lyrics and his extremely eclectic skills have been too obvious to ignore, making fans of a wide range of musicians. A regular Joe from Libertyville, Ill., he has made a living of combining immensely catchy hooks and melodies with stories and lyrics that actually mean something.Unlike major artists today, Reilly releases albums very quickly compared to the standards and expectations of the current music industry, putting out three albums in the past four years. Poison the Hit Parade, the follow-up to his 2007 album We Belong to the Staggering Evening, continues his tradition of providing thought-provoking lyrics with catchy riffs.It’s important to note that almost all of the songs on the album are either cuts that didn’t make it on previous albums or are merely different versions of songs that have indeed been heard before (“Hip Hop Thighs #16”). While it may be more exciting to hear brand new, never-before-released material, luckily the music is still fantastic.Fans of garage rock will enjoy the title track “Poison the Hit Parade” and “Janie Doesn’t Lie,” which sounds vaguely like “Commie Drives a Nova,” his popular song from Salesmen and Racists. He presents obvious folkish styles on “Lust Song #78” and “Duty Free,” a reminiscence of his friends going on road trips across the U.S. and Canada. The slower, sometimes harmony induced “Farewell to the Good Times” is a great listen for any student leaving behind friends or going home for the summer.Like most of his songs, sing-along choruses are the norm. Lyrics such as “It’s been well-said you’re well read, high-strung, well-hung winner from stern to stem” will remind any staunch follower of Bob Dylan of “Ballad of a Thin Man” and even “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” “We had a good time ... and then all the people went home when the lights went down,” he sings on the last track, called “It’s All Right to Die.” It’s a perfect finish to the album and would be welcome into any Jack White fan’s iPod.While fans of Reilly will anxiously await the release of brand-new material, this collection of demos and tweaked, previously-released tunes will more than suffice.
(04/10/08 3:06pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When he released his debut album, Not Of This Earth in 1986, Joe Satriani somewhat hinted at the extraterrestrial weirdness of his work. His styles have changed over the years; and while his tunes are still rooted in blues progressions, he has always found a way to surprise his fans. For those unfamiliar with Satriani, the album title is a key indicator of what to expect: something different.From the creepy, upbeat opening song “Musterion” to the slow, acoustic ending track “Andalusia,” Joe Satriani’s new album titled Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock keeps the tradition of showcasing his widely different styles. Like all of his previous work, most of the songs don’t have lyrics, and when they do, they are usually just one phrase repeated over and over (e.g., “I Just Wanna Rock”). For most artists, the absence of lyrics would get extremely annoying, but Satriani arranges his songs so well that the guitar works as the singer. In fact, the lack of lyrics forces and encourages listeners to listen to the song more closely and to imagine their own lyrics. Arguably one of the most talented guitarists alive, his broad range of skills creates different moods in each song, and his subtle techniques help you get an idea of what he might be trying to say. The use of the talk-box in “I Just Wanna Rock” is a perfect ode to the ’70s, and any fan of Peter Frampton will enjoy it. In what one would guess to be considered the title track, the very fun “Professor Satchafunkilus,” will remind lots of listeners of George Clinton and his Parliament/Funkadelic years. Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock is another great showcase of the talents of Satriani, and while it may not be as visionary as his last effort for Super Colossal (for which he was nominated for a Grammy), it’s another excellent listen for his fans and a fine stepping stone for new listeners.
(02/27/08 3:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The always likable Dennis Quaid headlines all the advertising for “Vantage Point,” but the movie has so many different and parallel story lines that he’s only the focus for about 20 minutes of the movie.It’s no secret that in the film the president is assassinated. The commercials lead you to presume that Quaid and the audience will be putting together a puzzle of how the shooting happened and who was involved. Instead, we’re given about seven different story lines that don’t always interconnect.Quaid plays Thomas Barnes, a Secret Service agent who only six months ago took a bullet for the president (played by William Hurt). Matthew Fox, and a number of supporting players including Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver and Edgar Ramirez, also get their fair shares of (read: too much) attention.No one likes to watch the same thing over and over again, and rather than give new information about characters or plot, the filmmakers give viewers increasingly annoying flashbacks prior to the shooting. Right after the hysteria surrounding the assassination, the first flashback works extremely well, giving the viewer some important background information, as well as high tension now that we know what’s about to happen. Unfortunately, the gimmick quickly wears thin. In fact, the audience I sat with laughed at the ridiculousness of the flashbacks each time they occurred. But the movie’s obvious flaws do not completely ruin it. The story is compelling and exciting, forcing the viewer to pay absolute attention so as not to miss a key twist. The beginning and end (where no flashbacks are used) are tense and captivating and worth the price of admission. But so many new developments and twists arise in the middle of the movie, with no one seeming to be who they are, that one starts to think 7-year-old Anna might be in on it.“Vantage Point” is the cousin of “In the Line of Fire,” “Patriot Games” and “The Manchurian Candidate,” and although it may not necessarily be the ugly cousin, it’s not nearly as pretty.
(02/21/08 4:59am)
Looking at the $20 billion video game industry, creating a center where people can play some of the most popular games seemed like a pretty good idea to video game center founder Zack Johnson.\n“I remember thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we could put all these systems in one building and people could come and everything would already be hooked up and ready to play?” said Johnson, a 1998 graduate of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.\nSoon after, Ebash Video Game Center was born. Johnson started the first Ebash in an old warehouse in Terre Haute in 2004. The newest Ebash center, located in Bloomington, opened Feb. 9. Its grand opening was a huge success, almost matching the revenue of the Terre Haute store on the same night, Johnson said.\nCommonly mistaken for a store that simply sells video games, Ebash instead allows people to pay a fee to play their favorite games on a variety of popular systems.\nJohnson, manager of Ebash in Terre Haute, hopes his center can help video games be portrayed in a more positive light.\n“It’s a social environment for gamers,” he said. “It gets them out of their rooms and into a public place where they can share their love for video games with each other.”\nThe Bloomington center, located at 3478 W. Third St. next to Subway, contains 45 Xbox 360s, 20 gaming computers and a handful of Wii and Playstation 3 consoles, in addition to high-definition televisions and state-of-the-art sound systems.\nDanny Taladay, the Bloomington store manager, said that, unlike the personal computers most students own, Ebash builds its own computers to ensure the highest quality gaming experience available.\n“People get to actually see games like ‘World of Warcraft’ at its highest potential with no lagging. You can play your favorite games, like ‘Guitar Hero III,’ on a 52-inch high-definition television,” Taladay said.\nEbash gives customers multiple options for their gaming experience. The cost is $4 for one hour of playing time, $10 for three hours and $15 for five hours. Night passes (7 to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m on Fridays and Saturdays) are also available for $8. Day passes cost $15 except on Fridays when they are $20. Each Monday is “college day,” when IU students can play all day for only $5.\nJeff Knudson, a sophomore at Edgewood High School, said Ebash is a cool place to work, too.\n“It’s great. I love it. And plus, for every hour I work, I get an hour of free play,” Knudson said.\nAshley Reed, an IU senior and assistant manager at Ebash, said word-of-mouth has undoubtedly played a key role in the solid business the store has experienced so far.\n“We have about 10 to 15 regulars who come in every day, and business has definitely picked up,” she said.\nJohnson said the center gives gamers an opportunity to have fun with people they normally wouldn’t meet.\n“About two years ago, we had an Indiana State University lineman come in and sit down next to a small, quiet 15-year-old kid who played in the band at a local high school,” he said. “They were so unlike each other, but they teamed up and had fun going against people across the Internet. I wish I would have gotten a picture of it.”
(02/13/08 5:05am)
For one IU club, practice and meets are optional. The coach doesn’t even care if his athletes are terrible. This IU club hopes everyone enjoys themselves and has fun.\nYes, maybe the IU swim club is a bit different from the \naverage team.\n“It’s not unstructured, but you get to choose how involved you would like to be,” IU swim club coach Bill Ramos. In addition to heading the club, Ramos also oversees aquatic program development for the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Students.\nJust eight years ago, Ramos, who swam all his life, found that he was suddenly lacking the motivation to get in the pool. Refusing to give it up, he instead got a group together and approached the Student Recreational Sports Center’s front office to see if it was possible to form an official swim club. Soon enough the club was up and running. What Ramos quickly understood was that whether students swam in high school, college or ever at all, they wanted a new swimming experience.\n“I like to tell students that ‘this is your next phase of swimming,’” he said. “We want it to be worthwhile, but no coach (is) screaming at you.”\nThe club currently has about 100 members, but the club said membership is increasing every year. Most members swam in high school, but a fair amount of club swimmers are now participating in their first meets. \nMary Beth Bray, president of the swim club and vice president of IU Club Sports, didn’t exactly see herself in the position she is now when she first came to college.\n“I actually didn’t swim competitively in high school but I became interested in it when I came to IU,” Bray said.\nLike all IU club sports, the swim team doesn’t cut anyone who wants to join. In fact, swimmers can choose from three different divisions of competition based on which suits them best.\nSecretary and treasurer Trevor Shirley, who oversees finances and maintains communication with the team and the RecSports, said the members of the swim club have quickly become friends with one another. He said the optional practices (6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday) can also serve as an escape from the demanding life of the average IU student.\n“It’s really nice to know when you’re stressed you can go to the pool, relax and be with people you enjoy,” he said.\nAlthough it was formed only eight years ago, the club is already one of the top teams in its sport, Shirley said. \n“I would say that we’re definitely a force to be reckoned with,” Shirley said.\nEarlier this year, IU hosted its second club swim meet and with six teams competing, the team had what Bray said was a “fantastic turnout.” On March 28, many club members will travel to Atlanta for the weekend to compete in the club championship that ends their season. The women won the contest last year, so the club hopes to have a repeat victory. Part of the reason Shirley thinks the swim club performs well on the road is because of the amount of members who travel to away meets.\nHe expects about 30 people to go to Atlanta, which is about 10 more than last year.\nTo join, students have the option of paying $30 a semester or $50 a year. But for those who are interested but unsure, coming to a week’s worth of practices for free is allowed and encouraged. Shirley also stresses there’s no deadline to join the club.\n“We’re always looking for new members,” he said. “It’s never, ever too late to join. We love getting new people.”
(01/31/08 6:03am)
After more than four years of appeals, graduate student academic appointees will receive dental insurance for the 2008-09 school year.\nUniversity Graduate School Dean James Wimbush said he has made it a priority to get the coverage for these students – usually teaching or research assistants – since he became dean in 2006. He said the plan provides for student academic appointees to receive full dental coverage. The University will cover the cost of preventative care, with a maximum benefit of $500 a year. Students will pay deductibles for restorative and major dental work, Wimbush said.\n“We wanted to make sure that the quality of graduate student life was as good as we could make it,” Wimbush said.\nIU employs 3,800 student academic appointees at the Bloomington campus and 650 at IU Purdue University at Indianapolis, according to an IU press release.\nGenerally, student academic appointees are paid to teach or help teach classes as well as carry out other academic duties. \nIn addition, these students’ spouses and children can reap the benefits, Wimbush said.\nPaul Rohwer, moderator of the Graduate and Professional Student Organization, said he is extremely grateful for the coverage.\n“Until now, we’ve been the only Big Ten school to not have this benefit,” Rohwer said.\nAbout half of the Big Ten universities provide full coverage, while the other half give specific graduate students the option of signing up for a plan, Wimbush said. \nMore than $1 million has been added to the base budget to pay for the program, which Rohwer admits is a lot of money for a university to grant. Wimbush said the program will be hard to fund, but the graduate school has “recognized the importance of doing this and showing our commitment to the graduate students.”\nIn years past, and even recently, students such as Ursula McTaggart have shown their desire for coverage in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways.\n“We started our campaign for dental care around 2003, holding rallies and even leaving dental items on administrators’ desks to remind them that we’ve worked hard and this was a benefit we wanted,” said McTaggart, who headed the Graduate Employee Organization petition in 2006.\nAfter hearing the news of the coverage, student academic appointees were ecstatic, Rohwer said. In fact, talks of a dental coverage party began to surface immediately. Rohwer said the student academic appointees at IU are grateful for those who made the coverage happen.\n“Dean Wimbush, Dean (Bennett) Bertenthal and the school deans deserve credit,” Rohwer said. “They listened, then made our life a little sweeter.”