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Little 500 kicks in to high gear

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Green · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

Little 500 weekend is coming up, and many students will have the honor to host a slew of guests at their houses, in the dorms or at their apartments. But along with that comes a frazzled state of mind on how to accommodate them. Having guests can be quite an overwhelming thought, but some careful last minute planning could help ease the stress of having Little 500 squatters at your house. There are essentially three main components that guests are going to need from their hosts: food, a place to sleep and entertainment.

Film fails to bring scares and laughs

By Alyson Brodsy and Michael Mellini · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

If during your daily routine today you happen to witness someone trip, stumble or fall down, congratulations, you've pretty much seen "Scary Movie 4." Looks like the "Scary Movie" franchise has run out of steam, and rather abruptly too, considering "Scary Movie 3" was surprisingly entertaining. The film begins with a weak "Saw" parody featuring Dr. Phil and Shaq, especially when compared to the hilarious intros spoofing "Scream," "The Exorcist" and "The Ring" that began the previous three films. This unfunny sequence sets the pace for the rest of the painful film.

Greg Buhay

By IDS staff · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

Greg Buhay, a senior majoring in business, is better known for what he does outside of the classroom. Buhay is the "business man" of the Cutters cycling team because he keeps the team's organization under control, but also has the crazy jokes and sense of humor to keep his teammates going on their six-to seven-hour rides. So when he's training hours upon hours a week and spending 75 percent of his college days with his team, here is why Team Cutters has had such an impact on this Pittsburgh native's life:

Welles trapped within a puzzle box

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Wisner · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

If someone told you at least eight different versions of a film existed, which version would you watch? Nobody has ever had more trouble when it came to editing control than the legendary Orson Welles. Granted "Citizen Kane" remained under his control, the rest of his output rarely was. While "The Magnificent Ambersons" and "Touch of Evil" became the victims of deadly studio scissors, nothing was more admittedly painful for Welles than watching his own "Mr. Arkadin" be torn from his grasps and shredded to pieces. There may be many versions of this fateful film, but the general story follows that of Guy Van Stratten (Robert Arden), a smuggler hired by tycoon turned amnesiac Gregory Arkadin (Welles himself with curly wig and curlier beard) to investigate his forgotten past.

'Wolf Creek,' Aussie for suck

By Alyson Brodsy and Will Hernandez · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

"Wolf Creek" is a horror movie that, like most horror movies, you'll either love or hate. And like most horror movie fans, I give them a chance because I rarely dislike even the most asinine of horror delights, mostly due to how exaggerated or unintentionally comedic they often turn out to be. Unfortunately there was none of that in "Wolf Creek." It's a horror movie that takes itself seriously, which is why its many shortcomings made it very displeasing to watch.

Album built to bore

By -Nate Bethea and Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

Reviewing a new Built to Spill album is like reviewing a new Sonic Youth or Fall album. Granted, they've only been around since the early '90s (and, unlike the Fall, don't have 100,000 albums), but there's a certain weight on your shoulders when critiquing anything new by Doug Martsch and whatever new band members he's acquired for his latest release. This is the band, after all, that put out two absolutely phenomenal albums in the late '90s: 1997's Perfect from Now On and 1999's head-exploding Keep it Like a Secret. At their zenith, they managed to foil Martsch's emotive songwriting with even more emotive guitar work. And what's more, it was good.

A once in a lifetime album

By Alyson Brodsy and Jeff O'Reilly · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

The year was 1979. Ambient music pioneer Brian Eno and Talking Heads frontman David Byrne began work on a two-year exercise in the experimental that would take their budding creative marriage to new heights. In 1981, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts was released to much acclaim, earning immediate status as a groundbreaking work, a synthesis of world music, ambient and the polyrhythmic funkiness of the Talking Heads. Twenty-five years after its initial release, My Life has been given new life with seven bonus tracks and extensive liner notes by Byrne and Eno. The re-release is a complete package, shedding new light on the creative process behind one of the definitive experimental works of the last quarter century.

Oh good lord, it's a kid's show

By Alyson Brodsy and John Barnett · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

Imagine if when you were six years old you'd found some of your daddy's mescaline in the medicine cabinet, took it, ate 10 Oreos and watched "Sesame Street." That's "Wonder Showzen," MTV2's usually demented, often scatological, always brilliant kids' show knock-off created, directed and voiced by the members of obscure indie rock band PFFR. The format of "Wonder Showzen" is not unlike that of "Sesame Street," "Barney & Friends" and their ilk. Real live kids between the ages of five and 12 interact with a host of puppet pals, and then there's the occasional cartoon, public service announcement or trip to the local farm/factory/zoo.

LITTLE 500 SAFETY

By Alyson Brodsy and Kathleen Quilligan · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

Scattered across tables in common rooms around campus sit paper triangles urging students to register against rape with the IU Student Association rape crisis fund on one side and another important message on the other. "The Little 500 Weekend -- protect yourself, protect your friends." Little 500 riders have helmets to help shield them from dangers during the race, students who participate in any of the activities associated with Little 500 week don't have protective gear to keep them safe during the parties and substantial drinking that accompany the week.

"World's Greatest College Weekend"

By Alyson Brodsy and Michael Sanserino · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

Little 500 has been dubbed the "World's Greatest College Weekend," but what does that mean? Surely IU students would be able to shed some light on why this weekend is better than any event that takes place on any other campus throughout this big blue marble. Let's start with junior Ashley Timberlake, a student walking past the Indiana Memorial Union. She probably has some crazy story from past Little 500 weekends. "The last couple years I've had tests all week; so, I haven't been able to go out," she says.

Completely Finished

By Alyson Brodsky and Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

"An Unfinished Life" is a charming story that is parallel with reality. With a superb cast featuring the likes of Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Lopez, Josh Lucas and newcomer Becca Gardner, "Unfinished" is able to please the audience as well as entertain. Jean Gilkyson (Lopez) and her young daughter, Griff (Gardner), travel from the Midwest out to Wyoming in an effort to escape Gilkyson's abusive boyfriend. With no money and no place to go, Gilkyson decides to go to the ranch of her dead ex-husband's father, Einer (Redford), who blames her for the death of his son.

Don't brave 'The Wild'

By Alyson Brodsy and Greg Shoenbaechler · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

Almost all animated movies lately have been great and very well done. With that said there was no reason to think that "The Wild" would be anything but another superb Disney masterpiece. Unfortunately this particular film wasn't anything to brag about. "The Wild" is about Ryan, a lion cub (Greg Cipes) who wants to be able to grow up and be able to roar like his father, Samson (Keifer Sutherland). After living in the New York Zoo his entire life he thinks the only way he will be able to do this is if he escapes to the wild.

Concept album takes on Orwell

By Alyson Brodsy and Rob O'Connor · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

By 1977, Pink Floyd had achieved the kind of lucrative success of which most bands only dream. The consecutive releases of Darkside of the Moon and Wish You Were Here launched them into international stardom. So how did they follow up these two career defining albums? By releasing what was easily their least accessible, and yet in many ways best album: Animals. With all of the songs coming in at under a minute and a half or well over 10 minutes, the album received zero radio play. The clear message was that Pink Floyd was not going to cater to their fans. And the result is a brilliant album that seems to have escaped the eye of most listeners save the true Floyd fan. Behind The Wall, Animals is Pink Floyd's most clearly conceptualized album. It is loosely based on the George Orwell book "Animal Farm," although it is influential more in its theme than its actual content.

Coming soon...Mediocrity

By C. Warner Sills and Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

A couple weekends ago while donning Showplace West 12 with my presence during a screening of the retched "The Hills Have Eyes," I saw a teaser trailer for yet another upcoming horror remake of the classic film, "The Omen." The trailer featured a lingering shot of a creepy-looking demon child, perched on a slow-moving swing set. The music was eerie, the Amish-looking child was motionless and the audience in the theater was silent. As I watched the fairly intriguing trailer, I began to think to myself, "Well, Warner, this is pretty much the only good that will come out of this film."

Enter the world of fast talking lobbyists

By Alyson Brodsy and Matt McMullan · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

Ah, big tobacco. Every year its products contribute to a death toll that would make a regional conflict proud. Kills more than alcohol and guns combined. Loved the world over by its many consumers. All the while, it remains a truly vilified corner of the market. It's an easy target. I mean, come on, man. It's big tobacco! You can't smoke in bars in New York anymore (let alone Bloomington). There's massive counter-advertising campaigns aimed at it. The government demands a Surgeon General's warning to be placed on every box.

Country idol channels his inner- white trashiness on new album

By Alyson Brodsy and John Barnett · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

The angry American returns - a little less angry. Toby Keith has been somewhat of a venerable journeyman in the country music business for the past 13 years, releasing everything from radio-friendly country to politically-charged agit-prop, all to the delight of his core fan base. His 10th long-player, White Trash with Money, fits nicely with the more radio-ready of his body of work. The title comes from a confrontation Keith's daughter had with a schoolmate in which said schoolmate criticized her for being glorified trailer bait, a notion which Keith seems to embrace about himself on this record, always with a wink and a smile.

'Hidden' hopes, unanswered questions

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Wisner · Thursday, April 20,2006 12 a.m.

Imagine opening your front door one morning to find a VHS tape wrapped in a piece of white paper with a child's drawing on it. Poorly sketched, the picture depicts a child's face covered in blood. You place the tape in your VCR and all you see is two hours worth of footage containing the front of your home. Nothing exciting, nothing unusual, just nothing at all really. "Caché" ("Hidden") shows us just how paranoid one can become when unknown surveillance is placed upon them. Georges Laurent (Daniel Auteuil) and his wife Anne ("Chocolat" beauty Juliette Binoche) deal with the aforementioned problem almost daily.

Ignore the nudies

By Alyson Brodsy and Amy Obermeyer · Wednesday, April 19,2006 11:59 p.m.

It's a fitting way to mark the passing of my final year here at IU. If my memory serves correctly (and let's face it, it's the end of my senior year, so it's highly probable that it doesn't), there's been some sort of pornography scandal every year I've been here. My freshman year it was the release of the infamous "Shane's World" DVD. Then came Teen Keira, followed by a slew of issues with Playboy.

Knock, knock. Who's there?

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 19,2006 11:59 p.m.

Alright, so here's the deal: It's Little 500 weekend, and you want to party. Most of us students have the hankering to head out this weekend, knock back two or three or 11 drinks, jump from party to party or bar to bar and enjoy what was dubbed a long time ago the "greatest college weekend." But there's a problem.

Zags' Morrison declares for NBA Draft

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 19,2006 11:57 p.m.

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Gonzaga All-America forward Adam Morrison declared for the NBA draft Wednesday, passing up his senior season for a chance to be a lottery pick. The 6-foot-8 floppy-haired, mustached forward, who led Division I in scoring last season at 28.1 points per game, is a diabetic and said uncertainty over his future health prospects was a factor in his decision.