Community Arts

Beauty and the beast: the problem with 'Average Joe'

By C. Warner Sills and Melissa Harrold · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:36 p.m.

A perfectly tanned, blonde ex-pro-football cheerleader strolls gracefully down a beach in slow-motion, her hair tousled in the sea breeze and her skimpy bathing suit accentuating her toned body.

TD and the agony of choice

By C. Warner Sills and Adam Tierney · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:33 p.m.

Tom Donohue's store was a mess. Piles of records spilled onto the floor and crept up the walls like overgrown weeds. Shaky, unstable pillars of CDs threatened to collapse and bury unwary customers under mounds of digitally recorded rubble.

A Perfect Circle show surprises audience

By David Antognoli · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:31 p.m.

Last Saturday, A Perfect Circle performed at the Louisville Gardens, putting on a show that was bound to blow the audience away in one way or another. While it may seem that a band touring to promote an album as dark, decorated and serious as its latest, Thirteenth Step, would perform a live show in a similarly dark, decorated and serious manner.

Boring film and features plague Croft

By C. Warner Sills and -Jenny Kobiela · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:30 p.m.

Indiana Jones proved that adventuresome archeologists can make for an interesting lead character.

Online role-playing game releases for PC

By David Antognoli · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:29 p.m.

Fans of the Final Fantasy series are amidst turbulent times. After 10 bestselling games, Square Enix has done the unfathomable, disrupting the classic Final Fantasy formula by making Fantasy XI a massively multiplayer, online role playing game.

Medieval thriller no Braveheart

By C. Warner Sills and Jennifer Whalen · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:26 p.m.

Eric Patrick of FOX-TV in Miami described Timeline as "Braveheart with a 21st Century twist." Umm … not so much.

'Cat' leaves bad hairball taste

By Amanda Trost · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:25 p.m.

One simple piece of advice for the holiday season: avoid The Cat in the Hat. I never saw Gigli, but I'm pretty sure this movie could give it a run for its money. This obnoxious movie about an apparently schizophrenic 6-foot-tall cat has Dr. Seuss rolling in his grave. It doesn't come anywhere close to the fun and friendly children's book we all loved as kids.

Psychological thriller has no thrills, few frills

By C. Warner Sills and Jake Bilinski · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:21 p.m.

Gothika is the latest flick in the series of horror/thriller ventures from Dark Castle, Robert Zemeckis and Joel Silver's production company. Not a guilty pleasure in the vein of their shamelessly trashy House on Haunted Hill remake, yet better than the atrocity that was Ghost Ship, this movie is still not as good as it should have been.

Rapper wants fans to 'beg' for more

By C. Warner Sills and -Brandon Tucker · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:16 p.m.

That's the first rule of the rap game? If you blow up, put your homies on the spot while you're still hot. Biggie (Junior M.A.F.I.A.), Tupac (Outlaws), Busta Rhymes (Flip Mode Squad) and Eminem (D 12) have done it. Now 50 Cent follows with his clique G-Unit on Beg for Mercy.

Linkin messes with Texas

By C. Warner Sills and Jake Bilinski · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:15 p.m.

Linkin Park was one of the headliners on the 2003 Summer Sanitarium tour. Their recent CD/DVD release Live in Texas is a compilation of the best of the two shows performed in the Lone Star State.

Funksters pepper album with hits

By -Kehla West · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:14 p.m.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Greatest Hits collection was destined to be, at the very least, pretty good. The 16 tracks encompass more than 10 years of the band's work and the CD includes two new songs.

Mudd produces solid 2nd album

By C. Warner Sills and Benjames Derrick · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:13 p.m.

Despite a change in half of the band's make-up, the sophomore effort from Puddle of Mudd picks up musically where the premiere left off. It is a mix of straight-forward hard rock and roll. But this is far from an hour-long assault of testosterone-laden, hair-banging madness.

The sad state of 'Britpop'

By C. Warner Sills and Katie Schoenbaechler · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:12 p.m.

I'll admit it; I bought Britney Spears' new album In The Zone. And I'm not going to lie, I was pretty excited about it.

Britney's starting to 'zone' out

By -Alec Toombs · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:10 p.m.

Oopstress Britney Spears seems fixated upon one thing and one thing only with the release of her new record In the Zone: SEX.

'Bad Santa' not so bad of a guy

By -Alec Toombs · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 5:02 p.m.

With three movies released this fall (The Alamo would've been his fourth had it not been delayed), Billy Bob Thornton is one of the busiest actors working in Hollywood today. His latest, Bad Santa, is directed by documentarian-turned-comedic auteur Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World) and co-stars comedian Bernie Mac, senior "Gilmore Girl" Lauren Graham and the late John Ritter.

From Starbucks to stardom

By C. Warner Sills and Jenny Sung · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 4:58 p.m.

The cappuccino and coffee enthusiasts were in for a treat as the acoustic sounds of David McMillin filled the normally quiet rooms of Starbucks on Indiana Avenue. The chattering of the customers and the droning of the coffee machines are all familiar sounds for McMillin.

Wake Forest dominates IU 100-67

By Natalie A. Trout · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 1:41 a.m.

WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- IU's 100-67 loss at No. 18 Wake Forest was more than just ugly, it exposed areas that need improvement before heading into the Big Ten season. The loss leaves IU with a 2-2 record and the Demon Deacons remain undefeated at 4-0. The game also gave the ACC a win in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Sophomore guard Bracey Wright said the atmosphere at Lawrence Joel Coliseum was just as the team expected it to be. It was a "tough crowd" Wright said; he added that to make things even more intense, the game was aired on national television.

Blazers' Zach Randolph arrested for DUI

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 1:12 a.m.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Trail Blazer forward Zach Randolph was charged Tuesday with driving under the influence after an officer said he smelled marijuana in the player's car, police said. Randolph, a former Indiana All-Star, was released a few hours after his arrest, police said.

Croom accepts Bulldogs' offer

By Alyson Brodsy and Ralph D. Russo · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 1:11 a.m.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State athletic director Larry Templeton hired Sylvester Croom because he believes the longtime NFL assistant can lead the troubled Bulldogs out of the Southeastern Conference cellar. In the process, Mississippi State made SEC history.

Coach teaches more than wrestling

By Colin Burns · Wednesday, Dec. 3,2003 1:10 a.m.

History shows that the Big Ten conference has a strong showing of past NCAA wrestling champions. This year, eight teams from the league are ranked in the top 25. Having a head coach that is not only familiar with the wrestling-tough conference but also was once part of it gives the IU wrestling team an added bonus.