Community Arts

Dirty south Drankin' that goes down smoothly

By C. Warner Sills and IDS WEEKEND reports · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 9:56 p.m.

There's never been a better time to be a part of the crew from the dirty South. The artists and albums coming out of the area are leading the rap charts. Representing the ATL, the YoungBloodZ Drankin' Patnaz goes down as smooth as your favorite shot.

This movie is better off a 'secret' to filmgoers

By C. Warner Sills and -Val Tsoutsouris · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7:59 p.m.

A common theme among family dramas in recent movie history is the breakup of a marriage under a supposedly idyllic scenario. These films have ranged from great (American Beauty) to so-so (Unfaithful) to brutally bad (The Story of Us).

"Swimming Pool" not completely shallow

By C. Warner Sills and Jake Bilinski · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7:58 p.m.

As a film, "Swimming Pool" is somewhat as its title suggests: there's a surface to it, and beneath that surface there is so much more going on. The problem is the water gets a little murky. Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) is a crime novelist lost for inspiration. At the suggestion of her publisher, John (Charles Dance), she escapes to his house in France to relax and concentrate on her next book.

Jeepers Sleepers 2 is a sleeper

By C. Warner Sills and Natalie A. Trout · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7:53 p.m.

Every 23rd spring, for 23 days, it gets to eat." The Creeper (Jonathan Breck) is back, and it's only been a few days since the first movie left off. Jeepers Creepers 2 is the tale of a school bus full of egotistical basketball players and cigarette-smoking cheerleaders that spend a day and night in a broken-down bus watching teammate after teammate get consumed by the gruesome Creeper.

BLOGME

By Jen Miller · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7:38 p.m.

For Internet aficionado and Vermont resident "NationalJ," logging onto Governor Howard Dean's Web site is a form of electronic therapy. "Honestly, lately when it gets to be too much, I get on this blog and am lifted to know that here's a big community of people from all over the place that are trying every day now to change all that jazz," he writes, a reference to the circus that typifies American politics. "The blog is my therapy."

To grandmother's house I go

By C. Warner Sills and -Alec Toombs · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7:28 p.m.

While most of you were spending the last weeks of your summer moving, finishing jobs and/or internships or simply savoring your final days of freedom poolside with cocktail in hand, I was hanging out with my grandmother.

Sometimes I'm still pissed

By C. Warner Sills and Mia Partlow · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7:28 p.m.

As everyone knows, the rock revival is in full force. And as someone who grew up on punk rock in a medium-sized Midwestern city, I was annoyed at first. I felt betrayed; since middle school I had listened to underground music, wore the thrift-store clothes and espoused leftist politics.

French kiss and make up

By C. Warner Sills and -Kehla West · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7:16 p.m.

Quelle horreur! Le Divorce is a bit of a disappointment. I expected a sparkly little chick flick with plenty of good-looking French men. The reality was a quasi-comedy full of overwrought drama in all the wrong spots and a climax that was amazingly anticlimactic.

Hobbits strike back!

By C. Warner Sills and Abhi Kumar · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7:04 p.m.

It's back to Middle Earth for all you Tolkien fans, and director Peter Jackson goes all out. We witness the miraculous return of Gandalf the Wizard (played by Ian McKellen), we're introduced to the incredible and often disturbing Gollum and experience the epic battle fought at Helm's Deep.

Mary J.'s hip hop soul is much o-Bliged

By C. Warner Sills and -Val Tsoutsouris · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7:03 p.m.

In the song "It's a Wrap" from her new album Love & Life, Mary J. Blige disses the cheating man in her life and you begin to wonder if Blige gets her sense of empowerment from the deepest depths as well as the highest highs. Such is her nature. Love & Life is such an emotionally-drenched operatic piece of work that after 18 tracks and 70 minutes, I was exhausted and felt a sudden urge for bon bons.

Country-fried hip-hop

By C. Warner Sills and -Daniel Minchella · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7:02 p.m.

Even the country folks inevitably turn their head toward the cities at some point. In a genre as urbanized as hip hop, it's not terribly surprising that the Nappy Roots' sophomore album Wooden Leather features a more worldly sound and outlook than its uniquely Southern first album, Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz.

Guided by Voices' latest not 'earth' shaking

By C. Warner Sills and -Alec Toombs · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7:01 p.m.

Critics have begun singing Robert Pollard's praises again … perhaps they spoke too soon. With his highly prolific band, Guided By Voices, Pollard has unleashed Earthquake Glue. What's here is well-written, sung nicely in Pollard's trademark cigarette-tinged rasp and backed more than ably by his bandmates. True to form, most of the cuts are either too short or too long.

'In This Skin?' More like 'In This Marriage"

By C. Warner Sills and Jennifer Whalen · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 7 p.m.

Jessica Simpson returns with her junior album, In This Skin. After hit singles and power ballads such as "Irresistible" and "Where You Are," featuring husband Nick Lachey, Simpson proves she possesses a more sultry side to her voice in her latest album.

It's Rancid, but it doesn't stink

By C. Warner Sills and Brian · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 6:59 p.m.

Rancid's latest, Indestructible, is a politically-fueled, Clash-inspired album. It's a good effort, but can't reach the creative success of 1994's Let's Go or 1995's … And Out Come the Wolves. The band is in the right state of mind, but has lost the energy that made the aforementioned albums so great.

DRINK SPECIALS AND EVENT LISTINGS

By C. Warner Sills and Weekends reports · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 6:46 p.m.

Axis: Monday: Monday Night Football $2 cover; 25 cent Bud, Bud Light and Rolling Rock bottles Tuesday: Karaoke contest, $1 cover ($150 cash prize) Thursday: 5 cent drafts; cover $3 before midnight

Climbing walls with the Hairy Bear - a 20-year tradition

By C. Warner Sills and IDS WEEKEND reports · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 6:32 p.m.

The infamous Hairy Bear, described on the Bear's drink menu as capable of making patrons "want to climb walls," consists of six shots of three different liquors. Though the original idea was conceptualized nearly 20 years ago, general manager Jim Reef says nobody really ordered it until five years ago.

4 IU students featured in Playboy's 'Girls of the Big Ten' issue

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 1:37 p.m.

Stephanie Urban was a senior last April when she got the news that a crew of Playboy photographers was in town, looking for some willing coeds for their pictorial featuring the "Girls of the Big Ten." Urban is featured fully clothed in the magazine.

Clarett unlikely to play at all

By Alyson Brodsy and Rusty Miller · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 2:24 a.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger said Tuesday night that he doubted sophomore tailback Maurice Clarett would return to the defending national champions this season.

Cubs, Cards split doubleheader

By Alyson Brodsy and Rick Gano · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 2:23 a.m.

CHICAGO -- Matt Morris outpitched Kerry Wood and Jim Edmonds hit his second homer of day as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0 to split their day-night doubleheader Tuesday night.

Rain drops instead of drop shots

By Alyson Brodsy and Howard Fendrich · Wednesday, Sept. 3,2003 2:21 a.m.

NEW YORK -- Andy Roddick walked down the hallway from the locker room at Arthur Ashe Stadium, then made a left just before the door leading to the court. Where was he headed? To the tournament referee's office, site of the biggest buzz of activity Tuesday afternoon at the U.S. Open. Rain postponed matches for a second straight day, and officials said the tournament might not finish on time.