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Explosives found on French rail line

By Alyson Brodsy and Elaine Ganley · Wednesday, March 24,2004 11:15 p.m.

PARIS -- A French railroad worker found an explosive device buried in the bed of a passenger line between France and Switzerland Wednesday, the Interior Ministry said. Bomb disposal experts neutralized the device, which was half-buried under a track in the village of Montieramey, France, on a train line heading from Paris to Basel, Switzerland, about 105 miles southeast of Paris, the ministry said in a statement. It was discovered shortly after noon.

Bloopers, boners and bums

By Doug Evans · Wednesday, March 24,2004 4:33 p.m.

Reality shows have started a new wave of television in recent years, but how much of "Survivor" and "The Real World" is actually "reality" and how much is scripted? There is no way to know for sure, but my guess is the producers of reality shows do not start filming an episode without some sort of pre-scripting.

The soundtrack of my life

By Doug Smith · Wednesday, March 24,2004 4:31 p.m.

Jumpin' jaspers the frog went a courtin'." Although unfamiliar to most, the old children's tune "Frog Went a Courtin'" settles in tight along my funny bone as it rattles distant memories of third grade music class.

Desperate attempt to be artsy fails in '21 Grams'

By -Jenny Kobiela · Wednesday, March 24,2004 4:27 p.m.

"21 Grams" tells the story of a terminally ill man (Sean Penn), a grieving mother (Naomi Watts) and a fundamentalist Christian ex-convict (Benicio Del Toro) whose lives are intertwined through a fatal accident.

Fifties feminism hits DVD

By Katie Schoenbaechler and Katie Shoenbaechler · Wednesday, March 24,2004 4:25 p.m.

For women in the 1950's getting married, setting up house and popping out a few kids looked like the only option after college. Forget graduate school or a career; it wasn't in the cards. Despite poor editing and even worse storytelling, "Mona Lisa Smile" does provide a quick lesson in art history and a look at women's roles in the '50s.

Horror classic a bloody good DVD

By John Barnett · Wednesday, March 24,2004 4:22 p.m.

Some 25 years after its original theatrical release, George A. Romero's classic splatter film still inspires the same shock and awe it did back in 1978.

Spielberg's 'List' a drama for the ages

By Tony Sams · Wednesday, March 24,2004 4:17 p.m.

If you have never seen Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List," easily and undoubtedly one of the best movies of the '90s, there will probably never be a better time now that the film is new to DVD. This is probably my fourth or fifth time seeing the film, and it still amazes me and it still makes me cry.

Konami capitalizes on Snake nostalgia

By David Antognoli · Wednesday, March 24,2004 4:15 p.m.

Many consider the original "Metal Gear Solid," released in 1998, as one of the best games of all time.

Girls will be girls

By -Kehla West · Wednesday, March 24,2004 4:05 p.m.

With their ninth studio album, All That We Let In, Indigo Girls have made a beautifully simple record. But fear not -- the Girls' trademark emotion, earnestness and depth is here in full force.

Arena rock band becomes musical joke

By Ryan Whirty · Wednesday, March 24,2004 4:03 p.m.

In one episode of "The Simpsons," we see a shirtless Apu washing his Trans Am. As he hoses the car down, he sings along to Cheap Trick's "Dream Police." There's something inherently hilarious about a cartoon guy with a faux Indian accent crooning, "The dream police, they live inside of my head / the dream police, they come to me in my bed."

Carr put the 'Prisonbound' in 'Blues'

By Ryan Whirty · Wednesday, March 24,2004 4 p.m.

Leroy Carr was only 30 when complications from chronic alcoholism put the blues vocalist and piano player six feet under. But while Carr might not have been around for very long, he was around long enough to become one of the most influential and significant artists in the history of the blues.

Great Big Sea transforms into solid rock band

By Ryan Whirty · Wednesday, March 24,2004 3:57 p.m.

With Something Beautiful, Great Big Sea pretty much completes its transformation from a Celtic combo into a full-fledged rock band, a metamorphosis which might, somewhat understandably, concern the Newfoundland group's hard-core fans.

Bondie beatdown boosts band's blastoff

By -Nate Bethea · Wednesday, March 24,2004 3:54 p.m.

The Von Bondies only real claim to fame -- I'm really not kidding -- is the fact that lead singer Jason Stollsteimer got his ass kicked in a bar by White Stripes frontman Jack White.

'Spartan' proves sword mightier than pen

By -Alec Toombs · Wednesday, March 24,2004 3:49 p.m.

Say what you will about David Mamet: the man can write. I can think of few stage or screenwriters who use the immensely versatile word "fuck" with such aplomb (okay, Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith come close). In giving the coarse class, Mamet has turned obscenity into art. I respect this. You should too.

The 'Secret' is out: Depp rocks

By Jennifer Whalen · Wednesday, March 24,2004 3:46 p.m.

Writer/director David Koepp adapts Stephen King's novella "Secret Window, Secret Garden," which concerns a writer, Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp), who secludes himself in a cabin after discovering his wife cheating on him after 10 years of marriage.

Take my life away

By Neal Taflinger · Wednesday, March 24,2004 3:40 p.m.

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Film'

By Tony Sams · Wednesday, March 24,2004 3:38 p.m.

To say "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," the new movie written by the audacious Charlie Kaufman, is incredibly original would be highly redundant.

Horror remake avoids 'Dead' end

By John Barnett · Wednesday, March 24,2004 3:36 p.m.

Known primarily for his television commercials featuring sleek foreign cars, director Zack Snyder tries his hand at feature filmmaking with a bold remake of a '70s horror classic. That's some balls for a rookie, but amazingly, he succeeds far beyond expectations. Never before (not even in "28 Days Later") have the living dead seemed so unstoppable and menacing.

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR

By Patrice Worthy and Patricia Worthy · Wednesday, March 24,2004 3:29 p.m.

Maxim's Hottest Woman of the Year for 2003 is now starring in one of her most complex roles, with a movie due out April 9. Elisha Cuthbert, siren and star of "The Girl Next Door," and award-winning actress on the dramatic series "24" speaks about her experiences in a starring role.

CELTIC TIDES

By Ryan Whirty · Wednesday, March 24,2004 3:11 p.m.

Head north and east until you reach North Sydney, Nova Scotia nestled at the very edge of continental North America.

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