Region

Pairing for the ages

By Alyson Brodsy and Josh Millrod · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

Until recently, recordings of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane's legendary collaboration had been the stuff of dreams for jazz fans. For five months in 1957, the two played six nights a week at the Five Spot in downtown Manhattan. The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings are a miracle. They document one of the most important pairings in all of jazz history In 1957, Thelonious Monk's chopped-to-bits, harmonically complex and delightfully left-footed style was already legendary. He had been struggling to renew his cabaret card after the mass revocation of the cards of musicians with criminal pasts.

Delightfully Devilish

By Alyson Brodsky and Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

One of the summers most buzzed about movies has finally hit theatres and it won't leave you disappointed. As an adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's best-selling novel, the movie brings to life the powerful fashion world and what its like to work in the industry. Directed by David Frankel (Sex and the City), "The Devil Wears Prada" was tastefully put together without overdoing it.

IDS Classic Albums:

By Alyson Brodsy and Derek Kagemann · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

Not long after its 1976 premier, the television show "Laverne & Shirley" became an instant hit. A merchandising franchise quickly followed suit. After a few musical performances on the show, Michael McKean and David Lander were given the chance to cut an album as their show personas, Lenny and Squiggy, in 1979. Popular television has spawned some awful musical crossovers through the years. Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams had already released Laverne & Shirley Sing in 1976, sharing shelf space beside mind-numbingly bad franchise tie-ins like Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space. However, Lenny & the Squigtones Present Lenny & the Squigtones is one of those notable exceptions.

Whatever Happened To Cult TV Shows?

By Alyson Brodsy and Larry Walters · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

June 28 marked the release of the movie version of one of Comedy Central's most genius shows -- "Strangers With Candy" -- and it's about damn time. Starring Amy Sedaris as the dumb-witted, sex-crazed junkie Jerri Blank, this show captivated the hearts and minds of several million viewers over a three-season period. After six years of hiatus, she's on the big screen along with director/actor Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's popular mock-news program "The Colbert Report." It's about time the trio reclaimed the roles that got them their initial burst of stardom.

Madonna Don't Preach

By Alyson Brodsy and K. A. MacDonald · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

Madonna's newest release, I'm Going to Tell You a Secret, can be separated in to three parts: the good (the remixes of her 80's songs she that brought her fame), the adult (her newest songs which sound like self help books set to a bass line) and the honest (the DVD which shows Madonna still has moments of being the Madonna we all knew and loved). She sings songs like "Vogue" and "Like a Prayer" with a passion that makes you want to sing and dance along. The techno beat takes a dance club favorite from 20 years ago and brings new life to it, turning it in to a dance club favorite of today.

Tattoo U

By Alyson Brodsy and Zack Teibloom · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

The Gooch stands outside the door to Skinquake Precision Tattooing And Body Piercing Inc., an imposing figure splattered with intricate, vibrant tattoos covering his arms, and chest. Two naked cartoon depictions of ex-girlfriends grace his arms, monstrous ear-plugs fill his ears, and a goatee and dark sunglasses hide his face. He has the markings of your typical tattoo artist, but his clientele and personal attachment to his ink is engraving a new mark on the tattoo scene.

Russian Rarity

By Alyson Brodsy and Rob O'Connor · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

Finally. Finally, Bloomington residents have an opportunity to see the movie that shattered every major box office record in Russia. Finally, we get to see the film that has become a sort of underground cult hit as it hopped around through film festivals and art houses until finally gaining enough support to receive a wide release (but not wide enough to make it to Bloomington). Two years after its initial release in Russia, finally "Night Watch" has come to DVD. "Night Watch," is the first installment in a Russian horror trilogy about the eternal battle between the supernatural forces of good and evil. Powerful supernatural beings called Others are all around us. Some have chosen to fight for the forces of light, and some have chosen to fight for the forces of darkness.

Planet of the Punks

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Green · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

Is the summer heat bumming you out? Is the man bringing you down? Tired of yuppies and hippies cramping your style? Well, look no further. Plan-It-X Fest is here! Punk rock, solidarity, equality and knowing your rights. 6 days of music and events sprawled out throughout the town of Bloomington, July 6th to 11th. It's like summer camp, but without the canoes and cheesy campfire songs. Sticking to home, Plan-It-X Fest will provide happenings all over the town of Bloomington. Shows will be played at Rhino's and Boxcar Books. There will be swap-meets and film fests, potlucks and a soapbox derby and even a carnival.

It's a bird, it's a plane...

By Alyson Brodsy and Doug Evans · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

Whereas "Batman Begins" spawned a new Batman series, "Superman Returns" is more of a continuation of its preceding series as initially suggested by its title but also by its many references to the earlier film series. In fact, Marlon Brando returns from the dead to reprise his role of Jor-El, Superman's father (in actuality, archived footage of Brando from the 1978 version is used).

Two Points For Experimentation

By C. Warner Sills and Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

Guster is the kind of band that is hard not to like. Its songs are catchy, the band members are down to earth--always welcoming and supportive of fans, despite their rising fame--and most importantly, Guster makes simple yet great music. The Boston trio started as a college garage band, mainly playing the frat gig circuit at Tufts University, but since then have recorded several extremely successful albums and garnered a nice little following ranging from wide eyed teenage girls to twenty something males who see the band as an alternative to more mainstream counterparts like Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Jason Mraz etc.

Hidden Masterpiece

By Alyson Brodsy and Will Hernandez · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

Michael Haneke's "Caché," which won him best director at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, is a disturbing psychological journey into the lives of a distraught and guilt-ridden talk show host named Georges (Daniel Auteuil), his deteriorating relationship with his wife, Anne (Juliette Binoche) and their distant son, Pierrot (Lester Makedonsky). The trouble begins when Georges finds what becomes the first in a series of anonymous calls, drawing, and videotapes (which show only a far away shot of the front of his house). These things really pose no harm, but the anticipation of things to escalate and that the family might be in real danger increases the married couple's paranoia and fear. Georges is particularly shaken because the anonymous drawings make references to an Algerian boy his parents took care of when he was a little boy, which he also wronged (in ways that aren't too clear to the viewer). This forces Georges to dig deep into his past to figure out who's terrorizing him and his family and who's exposing him.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh!!!

By Alyson Brodsy and Rob O'Connor · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

Why Johnny? Why? Why would you attach your name to this pixilated abomination? Why would you lend your voice to a game which can quite literally be played blindfolded (trust me, I tried it). I mean we all make mistakes (cough "The Libertine"), but you should have known better than to get involved in a game whose real function is as part of a corporate marketing strategy. The only possible defense would be if Disney some how snuck it into your contract in the fine print when you hopped on board for the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels.

Brit-poppers stake their claim

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Green · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

Britpop/rock is hit or miss in my opinion. For example: Radiohead, Interpol, Muse…all hits. Coldplay, U2…misses (don't send hate mail to me for this statement). No matter what your stance on the matter is, you've surely heard of Keane. This group of blokes blew up on the scene in 2004 with Hopes And Fears, and a hit single entitled "Somewhere Only We Know," becoming one of the biggest groups in the UK, and US alike. Keane's second effort, Under The Iron Sea, is an excellent follow-up, and even more emotional and darker than their debut. All U2 and Coldplay references aside, Keane has their own unique and intelligent sound. Singer Tom Chaplin sounds more like Thom Yorke (The Bends era Radiohead), or Matt Bellamy of Muse, rather than Chris Martin of Coldplay.

THE BUZZ ABOUT PUZZ

By Alyson Brodsy and Tracy Liaw · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

Somewhere on a street lay an errant brown puzzle piece. Bicyclists might pedal over it. Sparrows might peck at it. But Puzz went on a quest to find its owner. "Puzz," the second short film by The Nineteenth State Filmmakers' Collective, is to be premiered along with five other local films on Friday, July 7th at 8 p.m. at the Hospital, located at 1021 South Walnut St. The twenty minute film tells the story of a puzzle fanatic who began a mission to return a lost puzzle piece. On the other hand, Annette, who struggled with a stifling relationship with her dopey boyfriend, was also trying to complete a puzzle with only one jigsaw missing.

Hop in this Stranger's van

By Alyson Brodsy and John Barnett · Thursday, July 6,2006 12 a.m.

High school is hard -- especially so if you're a buck-toothed recovering alcoholic and drug addict pushing 50. Jerri Blank, played with an equal mixture of pity and pitifulness by comedienne Amy Sedaris, is the physical embodiment of what happens when you disregard those after school specials and D.A.R.E. visits as a teen. A self-described "boozer, loser, and user," Jerri moves back in with her family after a stint in prison, and ends up back at her old high school. Populated with such oddities as Chuck Noblet (writer and co-creator Stephen Colbert), Geoffrey Jellineck (co-creator Paul Dinello), and bass-voiced Principal Onyx Blackman (Greg Hollimon), Jerri's new life might even be stranger than her old one.

Enron founder Kenneth Lay dies of heart attack at age 64

By Alyson Brodsy and Kristen Hays · Wednesday, July 5,2006 8:14 p.m.

HOUSTON -- Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay, who was convicted of helping perpetuate one of the most sprawling business frauds in U.S. history, has died of a heart attack in Colorado. He was 64. A secretary at his church and another secretary for his lead criminal lawyer, Michael Ramsey, on Monday both confirmed the death. Lay frequently vacationed in Colorado. Lay, who faced life in prison, was scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 23. Nicknamed "Kenny Boy" by President Bush, Lay led Enron's meteoric rise from a staid natural gas pipeline company formed by a 1985 merger to an energy and trading conglomerate that reached No. 7 on the Fortune 500 in 2000 and claimed $101 billion in annual revenues.

Astronauts of Discovery start shuttle inspections

By Alyson Brodsy and Mike Schneider · Wednesday, July 5,2006 8:12 p.m.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The crew of Discovery began their first full day in space Wednesday with one of the most comprehensive in-flight inspections of any shuttle flight. As they hurtled toward a Thursday rendezvous with the international space station, the astronauts maneuvered a 50-foot boom with cameras attached to inspect Discovery's right wing for any damage from debris during liftoff.

IU center fights ID theft

By Trevor brown · Wednesday, July 5,2006 8:07 p.m.

Joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service and several corporate and academic institutions, the IU Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research will become one of the founding members of a national institute to battle the dangers of identity theft and fraud. The establishment of the Center for Identity Management and Information Protection was announced last week, creating an unprecedented coalition that will focus on research involving identity crimes affecting national security, businesses and individuals, said Fred H. Cate, director of IU's Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research.

Clinton comes to Indianapolis

By Chris Freiberg and Warren Christopher Freiberg · Wednesday, July 5,2006 8:07 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Former President Bill Clinton spoke at a fund-raiser here for 9th District Democratic hopeful Baron Hill Wednesday. Clinton lauded the work Hill did while serving two terms in the House before losing his seat to incumbent Rep. Mike Sodrel, R-9th in 2004, calling Hill a "political marathon man." "After the last election, he didn't give up or give in," he said. "We need more people like that on our side ... Baron Hill is model in my view of what a public servant ought to be at the dawn of the 21st century."

Summer enrollment still down

By Michelle Manchir · Wednesday, July 5,2006 8:07 p.m.

Fewer IU students are staying in Bloomington this summer to take classes, according to this year's enrollment figures. Enrollment in both summer sessions has declined for the third year in a row. Summer Session I enrollment is down 2.8 percent from last year, and while the official numbers for Session II will not be released until the end of July, Director of Summer Sessions and Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Leslie Coyne said they are "down a bit," as well.