Community Arts

Family film defies logic

By Alyson Brodsy and Will Hernandez · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 6:28 p.m.

The first time I saw the trailer for the film "Zathura: A Space Adventure," I dismissed it as a "Jumanji" knock-off. The concepts are similar; two siblings that don't get along and are alone for the day find a mysterious board game that generates its own reality and hurls them into a spectacular adventure. They can't get back to their own reality either until they finish the game, but more significantly, the end of the game is the catharsis that results after the characters resolve their personal conflicts.

Early noir exploration

By C. Warner Sills and Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 6:26 p.m.

At its core French film auteur Jean Renoir's "La Bête Humaine," translated as "The Human Beast," appears to be a film with metaphoric undertones regarding the transition to the industrial age. The opening five minutes of the film are devoted to the inner workings of the steam powered train and the illustrious shots of it blazing through the French countryside, as if it were its own character. In many ways it is. Made in 1938, 35 years after Edwin S. Porter astounded audiences with his stunning locomotion cinematography in "The Great Train Robbery," "Humaine" tells the story of Jacques Lantier (played wonderfully by Renoir usual Jean Gabin), a humble train engineer with a troubled past who yearns to find love in his life.

'Eros' DVD hard to love

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Wisner · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 6:25 p.m.

In a throwback to the anthology films of the 1960s and 1970s, "Eros" gives three filmmakers a chance at showcasing their talents as a collective whole covering one major topic: love. Not just any kind of love; we're talking about eroticism and passion. Hong Kong mastermind Wong Kar-Wai and Hollywood maverick Steven Soderbergh are brought together in tribute and homage to the film's third and final filmmaker, legendary Italian auteur Michelangelo Antonioni. Kar-Wai gets the ball rolling with "The Hand," an erotically charged tale between a prostitute (Li Gong) and her obsessive tailor (Chen Chang).

Special edition spices 'Dune' up

By Alyson Brodsy and Derek Kagemann · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 6:23 p.m.

Finally after 22-years of waiting, the extended version of "Dune" has seen release in the United States. This is the complete version of the 1984 film, based on the book by Frank Herbert. For those who've never seen it, "Dune" is science fiction epic meets grandiose art film. The planet Dune is the sole supplier of a substance known as spice, which fuels all space travel. This sets the stage for a struggle between two competing royal houses and the prophetic rise of Muad'Dib, a messianic figure meant to lead a holy war against the universe.

Nine women, nine stories

By Alyson Brodsy and Olivia Morales · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 6:19 p.m.

"Nine Lives," the new feature from Rodrigo Garcia, breaks new ground by using a familiar idea. It's nine vignettes are reminiscent of past ensemble works like "Magnolia" and the recent "Crash." But "Crash" and "Magnolia" involve story lines that are told in a kind of rotation, "Nine Lives" is linear and straightforward, leading from one story into the next, without looking back. Most films get two hours to say something and don't say nearly as much as Garcia does in the 12-minute sub-sects of this film.

'Saw's' film buzz is back

By Alyson Brodsy and Greg Schoenbaechler · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 6:17 p.m.

The Jigsaw killer is back in "Saw II" to prove that sequels can sometimes surpass the original. Most horror series get worse as the film count increases, but from the get go this sequel shows no signs of letting up. Director Darren Lynn Bousman does a great job of picking up where "Saw" director James Wan left off with this series, which is quickly becoming a must see franchise. "Saw II" is about the twisted serial killer Jigsaw and his goal to show people the value of their own lives once again.

IDS CLASSIC ALBUMS

By Alyson Brodsy and John Barnett · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 6:12 p.m.

Despite what VH1 would have you believe, the '80s weren't so bad after all. At a time when the ass-end of new wave collided with the embarrassingly hedonistic hair metal scene, the demure Paul Simon released his best set of songs since he and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water LP. Frustrated that his songwriting skills hadn't translated so well to the studio since 1975's Still Crazy After All These Years, Simon drew upon his newfound fascination with traditional South African rhythms and vocalizations while enlisting a group of musicians and singers from South Africa to help record Graceland, the most enduring album of Simon's 35-year solo career.

A 'Date' to be stood up

By Alyson Brodsky and Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 6:04 p.m.

It's bad enough that the movie starts out in a slump as Alyson Hannigan dances around seductively in a fat suit to the song "Milkshake," but what's even worse is that from that point on, the movie doesn't get any better. If you saw the commercials for this movie, you might remember that it's from two of the six writers of "Scary Movie." Well, that doesn't necessarily make it funny. The movie is a parody of date movies, mocking films like "My Best Friend's Wedding" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" to "Meet the Parents" and "Meet the Fockers." Julia Jones (Hannigan) is a lot like Bridget Jones; she's a young woman who is, I'll put it nicely, a bit heavy and looking for love. Jones seeks the help of Lil' Hitch (played by "Bad Santa's" Tony Cox) to find her match.

No need to chill out to this film

By Alyson Brodsy and Tristan Mathews · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 6:01 p.m.

Despite many failing elements, "Eight Below" is a better than bad Disney movie that lends for a fun watch. The movie begins with the last Antarctic expedition before the dreaded winter strikes. Gerry Shepard (Paul Walker) is a guide for the National Science Research Base. We see early on that he loves his eight sled canines and they have a very close relationship. Davis McClaren (Bruce Greenwood) is a scientist searching for meteorites from Mercury in a dangerous section of the continent.

Film examines the Middle East

By Alyson Brodsy and Matt McMullan · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 5:57 p.m.

Ask your average American just what in the hell the Palestinian/Israeli conflict is all about. No. It's not about Iraq. And for something as dreadfully relevant and reported as the fireworks over the West Bank and the Gaza strip, we are horribly uninformed. "Paradise Now," from director Hany Abu-Assad, covers something most of the western world is only familiar with from the occasional 30 second clip on the evening news and could stand to know more about: suicide bombing. It's not easy to discuss something that a lot of the world identifies as rationalized murder without offending someone.

Now presenting, the human body

By Alyson Brodsy and Rob O'Conner · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 5:55 p.m.

"Mrs. Henderson Presents" has everything: great acting, a great story and innumerable naked breasts. I tried to count at first, but I lost track after two. Strangely, even though this movie has more nudity than your average girlie magazine, an R-rating almost seems harsh. It is not sexual in the least; rather it is a celebration of the aesthetics of the female form. It raises an interesting point: should a film be rated R simply because it shows a multitude of breasts, while a film that has much stronger sexual content and no nudity gets rated PG-13? I think as a culture our priorities may be a little out of whack.

A failed look at race relations

By Alyson Brodsy and Olivia Morales · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 5:52 p.m.

"Freedomland" is a strange Hollywood product, but lately, not a rare one. It's three or four different movies masquerading as one wannabe box office smash. The trailer of the film, though murky, would lead you to believe it is a thriller with an interesting plot and human drama. The film doesn't shy away from those things. It's just that it's bold in too many other areas to make it work. In the opening scene of the film, a haggard-looking Julianne Moore stumbles into a police station with bloody hands and a frantic plea for help.

James Earl Jones recounts King's legacy

By Zachary Osterman · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 12:10 p.m.

The voice was unmistakable, the confidence and strength unparalleled. When James Earl Jones spoke at the IU Auditorium Tuesday night, people listened. And he spoke about the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and King's love of literature.

Battling back

By Jordan Majewski · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 12:32 a.m.

Senior Ryan Parker's list of accomplishments as a member of the IU baseball team is impressive -- two-time member of the Academic All-American Team, Academic All-Big Ten selection and a .340 batting average with 51 RBIs last season, to name a few. But perhaps the most defining aspect of Parker's career as a Hoosier is the fact that he is a cancer survivor.

Protesters expected at Coulter speech

By Zack Teibloom · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 12:28 a.m.

Ann Coulter not only expects protest wherever she goes, she depends on it. "I love the question-and-answer," Coulter said on Fox's "Hannity and Colmes" in May. "I love to see liberals try to thrash their way to a coherent argument. And actually, I think it's fun to debate."

IU community discusses cartoon controversy

By Peter Stevenson · Wednesday, Feb. 22,2006 12:26 a.m.

A panel of IU experts Tuesday said recent controversy over cartoons depicting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad is about more than drawings and insults. Several panelists concluded that the outrage and protests in Muslim countries were not merely because of the drawings, but were a response to consistent anti-Muslim sentiments outside the Islamic world.

Design double duty

By Alyson Brodsy · Tuesday, Feb. 21,2006 11:50 p.m.

When the news about Mike Davis' possible resignation began breaking last Wednesday, Indiana Daily Student reporters and editors worked to report and write the story before the paper's midnight deadline. While those staffers attempted to get the scoop on Davis, the front page of the paper was in limbo. Would Davis resign? Would he be fired? Was it all just speculation? Before reporters had confirmed what would happen with Davis, the front page had to be designed multiple times to cover our bases for the different possibilities.

Fear the birds

By Alyson Brodsy and Matt McMullan · Tuesday, Feb. 21,2006 11:49 p.m.

It's coming. Oh, you know it's coming. It's been coming for a long time.

Hunting Cheney

By Alyson Brodsy and Amanda Dorman · Tuesday, Feb. 21,2006 11:48 p.m.

By now it's more than likely you have heard about Vice President Dick Cheney's hunting accident in Texas. What at first seemed a mere, at some times amusing misfortune (David Letterman joked, "We can't get bin Laden but we nailed a 78-year-old attorney") soon became much more tragic as we learned that Harry Whittington, the man Cheney shot, suffered from a mild heart attack. The accident became even more somber as Americans finally started to question Cheney's controversial and secretive behavior.

With us in mind

By Alyson Brodsy and Christina Galoozis · Tuesday, Feb. 21,2006 11:47 p.m.

Like some of my Indiana Daily Student colleagues, last week I was surprised to hear only two tickets are running for the IU Student Association elections. In years past, the IUSA election seasons have been much more, let's say, colorful, than this year's looks to be.