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'Kagemusha' a moving masterpiece

In 1980 Japanese film-directing legend Akira Kurosawa found himself in a rut. Coming off a successful Academy Award win for his film "Dersu Uzala," Kurosawa was unable to attain financing for his samurai war epic "Kagemusha." After being turned down, Kurosawa began painting storyboards for his film although he felt it would never see the light of day. This all would change, however, once film directors Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas learned of Kurosawa's lack of funding and made the decision to finance the Japanese auteur. This same decision allowed Kurosawa to bring about one of the finest films in his cinematic career.

Beck back with 'Guero'

While most everyone has a tale of heartbreak, few have articulated it as Beck did on 2002's Sea Change. Presented in breezy acoustic arrangements and worn-out vocals, Beck's look at his breakup with a longtime girlfriend saw the eternally-choirboy-looking recording artist extremely bummed, bringing about such melancholic triumphs of abandonment and failure as "The Golden Age" and "Lost Cause."

Martin Sexton at the Bluebird Nightclub

Singer/songwriter Martin Sexton will be performing with Jill Sobule at the Bluebird Nightclub Friday. The doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the door for $15. The show is 21 and over.

Debut will lead to future 'Employment'

Surfing the new wave of New Wave -- think: Franz Ferdinand and the Killers -- comes Leeds, England-based band the Kaiser Chiefs (named after the South African football club). Cribbing off rock luminaries from the '60s (the Kinks), '70s (the Jam and the Clash), '80s (Adam Ant ... when he still mattered) and '90s (Blur), the Chiefs do chiefly what Kasabian -- the British band whose debut I reviewed last week -- didn't. They've taken their influences and run freely with them.

What happened to the dark comedy?

Public relations industry no longer creates simply 'fluff'

A good lawyer used to be vital to keeping a company out of hot water. Now a good publicist is just as important. No longer seen as a "fluff" profession, public relations has become essential for the business world. Its increasing importance has garnered media attention in recent years, from a New York magazine cover story to "PoweR Girls," the newest MTV reality show.

Around The Campus

Noah Feldman, the chief U.S. constitutional adviser to the Iraqi government and assistant professor of law at New York University will speak about Islam and democracy in Iraq tonight at 7:30 in the Whittenberger Auditorium. Feldman's lecture will be followed with a question-and-answer session.

IU 1st in Big Ten in private financial support

The IU Foundation announced Monday that IU ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten and 13th in the nation when it comes to garnering financial support from the private sector.

College Republicans, Democrats to face off

Although election season is nowhere in sight, the IU College Republicans and College Democrats think it's time to bring political discussion back to Bloomington. The two groups will square off in one of two spring semester debates at 7:30 tonight in the Indiana Memorial Union's Georgian Room.

Earthquake death toll estimated to be 1,000

GUNUNG SITOLI, Indonesia -- Firefighters freed a man trapped in a crumpled house on remote Nias island on Wednesday, 36 hours after he was buried in rubble. As the first foreign military help arrived, officials said an estimated 1,000 people had died in the region's latest large earthquake. Later, a magnitude-6.3 quake

Summer housing deadline approaching

While many students are in the midst of bustling around and wrapping up what is left of the school year, others are signing up for summer classes at IU.

Have it your way

The Burger King is so much more than just a monarch. Not only is he the mascot of a fast food chain second only to McDonalds, he is also an artist.

Do change your do

I hate Clay Aiken.

Advancing human rights

RAKOW, Poland -- During the 1980s, many Polish organizations fighting for their country's freedom received logistical support as well as funding from the U.S. government and other American organizations. In 1983, Washington established the National Endowment for Democracy, which would funnel a good portion of Western aid to Solidarity.

Accounting for RPS prices

Don't you wish you could spend your meal points at the Indiana Memorial Union without having to purchase a UnionPlus plan?

Speaker tackles barriers facing Bloomington women

As Women's History Month draws to a close, Charlotte Zietlow has a message of remembrance, hope and advice. Zietlow, economic development coordinator for Middle Way House Inc., focused on the barriers Bloomington women might face during an interactive lecture at Ivy Tech State College Wednesday afternoon.

Concert to raise funds for forests

Students have a rare opportunity to toast the trees Thursday night in lieu of their usual bar-hopping without a cause. Forest protection organizations like the Indiana Forest Alliance and Heartwood are coordinating the benefit to raise money and awareness regarding Indiana's forest issues, said Michael Forrester, a member of Heartwood and graduate student at IU's School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Official pleads guilty to child porn charge

FORT WORTH, Texas -- A former high-ranking Boy Scouts of America official who ran a task force that worked to protect children from sexual abuse pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal child pornography charge.

Court denies Schiavo family request

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. -- With time running out for Terri Schiavo, a federal appeals court Wednesday rejected her parents' latest attempt to get the brain-damaged woman's feeding tube reconnected.

U.S. troops currently detaining 10,500 Iraqi prisoners

WASHINGTON -- The United States is holding about 10,500 prisoners in Iraq, more than double the number held in October, the military says.