IUPD

More than one 'King of the Blues'

By Seth Forster · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:31 a.m.

If rock music has proven that dying young offers fame, then blues has proven the opposite for many of its great performers. Your best hope for post-mortem fame is to have a slightly androgynous English band from the '60s or '70s cover some of your songs and hope that they are around well after most people retire. But since the Stones didn't really do a lot for the two lesser known Kings of the blues, I figured it couldn't hurt to get out my scarf, grab a beat up Gibson and see where it takes me...or maybe I'll just write about them.

Top 10: A documentary of my Thanksgiving holiday

By Michael Tapscott · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:30 a.m.

1) The Thanksgiving Party and Dinner Thanksgiving in my parents' house was spent in some ulterior time frame. A large portion of my family was there, and I avoided eye contact all night. Questions like, "So, when are you graduating?," etc... 2) Faith Hill Special on ABC, Thursday Night As Thanksgiving dinner broke and the fam exited to the living room, the television was turned on to this moronic schlock-fest. It was a surreal experience, in a way. I thought about how it might be funny to gut myself while sitting on the couch, replacing order with chaos and finally giving everyone a purpose.

Kick it with 'FIFA 2003'

By C. Warner Sills and Mike D’Avria · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:20 a.m.

Every updated EA Sports game in 2002 made huge leaps from its 2001 predecessor. Now, with a new onslaught of 2003 versions, EA has improved on its formula, but just by tweaking an almost perfect model anyway. This is no different with "FIFA 2003." EA did not create a new game, and the game is played almost exactly like "FIFA 2002," but there are some little extras that make it worth owning. There is the always-impressive season mode, playable with more than 350 teams, and even more impressive are the 8,000 real players on these teams. There are also a bunch of different tournaments that can be played with the 16 different leagues, and an international tournament that is pretty much the World Cup without the licensing.

Two words: Dragon fighting

By Jake Bilinski · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 1:14 a.m.

People often question me when I say I really like "Reign of Fire." I mean, true, it's not exactly what I'd call a "good film," but when I want a movie to entertain me, it doesn't get much better than 102 minutes of humans and dragons doing everything they can to kill one another. Dragons awake and occupy themselves by killing off all things living. Enter Quinn (Bale), fire chief and protecting leader of a small community of struggling survivors. Then enter Van Zan (McConaughey), hardcore freelance dragon slayer who hunts down the beasts via a modern arsenal. Together, the two men set out to reclaim mankind's place atop the food chain. It's one hell of a show.

Metroid prequel lives up to hype

By Mattew Seremet and Matthew Seremet · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:58 a.m.

The naysayers and skeptics can grab a controller and shut up -- "Metroid Prime" lives up to the hype. This brilliant mix of next-gen, first-person-shooter and the old-school, platforming "Metroid" games is an amazing triumph. This is the best reason to own a Gamecube, and even the most hardcore "Metroid" fans will be impressed by the series's evolution. "Metroid Prime" puts players in the role of bounty hunter Samus Aran in a prequel to "Super Metroid." The game begins with Samus responding to a distress beacon on a ship, where she fights an old enemy and crash lands on nearby planet Tallon IV. The story unfolds slowly as Samus explores the planet. The game is not driven by the plot, and much of the details in the storyline depends on how involved you become in the gameplay.

Dylan's collection a holiday bonus

By Michael Tapscott · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:56 a.m.

In 1975, Bob Dylan toured the Northeastern states and parts of Canada in a medicine-show spectacle he called the Rolling Thunder Revue. Traveling like a circus with Dylan were such characters as T-Bone Burnett (producer of the "O Brother" soundtrack), Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Roger McGuinn and Allen Ginsberg. In retrospect, '75 was seen as a year Dylan returned to form; he released his heartbreaking Blood On the Tracks album, came back to protest with "Hurricane" and generally seemed happy and engaging on stage.

The two sides of Conor Oberst

By Michael Tapscott · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:54 a.m.

New albums by Desaparecidos and Bright Eyes are two very different experiences masterminded by the same boy wonder, Conor Oberst of Omaha. Oberst has been drawing praise for years now and continues to do so with Desaparecidos' debut album and Bright Eyes' fourth album, Lifted. For the record, as of 2002 he is a veteran at the ripe old age of 22. Bright Eyes is an emo-type outfit that Oberst fronts like a folk troubadour. On the band's latest album, his words and acoustic guitar are moved to the front. Instead of the usual rock band accompaniment, Lifted... is rounded out with old-world instruments and '60s pop arrangements.

Dredging up new psychedelic, concept album

By -Val Tsoutsouris · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:43 a.m.

Concept albums make me cringe. Bands with pretentiously misspelled names like Dredg make me wince. After listening to Dredg's El Cielo, I may need to reconsider. Part of the problem is that the first thing that comes to mind when the words "concept album" come up are, "Domo arrigato, Mr. Roboto." Ugh. The second thing is wailing about how dragons will take over the Earth by the year 10,000. Double ugh.

Some attractions never get old

By Seth Forster · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:39 a.m.

It's that time again, folks. Elvis Costello's new series of reissues has been released. But here's a warning: those of you looking for the album with the charging elephants on the cover will be confused. The cover art is just unreadable splatter paint, so it will be harder to show off your tasteful CD collection to new acquaintances than you might have thought. But given that the original art is in the booklet, and even more importantly, that this is a great album, all is forgiven...even if the raw versions of "Greenshirt" and "Big Boys" from This Year's Model are more effective.

Dream cast shines on soundtrack

By -Daniel Minchella · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:36 a.m.

Whether you like him or not, it's safe to say that few artists on the planet are as hot as Eminem right now. The Eminem Show has been met with critical praise while also establishing itself as one of the top-selling albums this year. And now, Eminem is taking on Hollywood with "8 Mile," a film roughly based on his life. The soundtrack for the heavily anticipated film has been equally awaited. The CD features 16 cuts, and Eminem takes executive-production credits for everything. The disc features an all-star cast of hip-hop acts, including Eminem (of course), Xzibit, D-12, Jay-Z, Nas, 50 Cent, Gang Starr, Rakim and more. With such talented emcees on the bill, this soundtrack has the potential to be one of the best hip-hop soundtracks ever. The album wastes no time, delivering the hit "Lose Yourself" as the first track. The song is as close to a ballad as Eminem will ever get. With the adrenaline-laced lyrics, "Lose Yourself" could be the hip hop equivalent of "Eye of the Tiger."

U2 produces the ideal best-of

By Seth Forster · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:30 a.m.

U2 may not have aged that gracefully, but looking back on the '90s, who can blame the band? As one of the most consistent and somehow experimental bands of the '80s, U2 made some of the greatest, freshest-sounding rock albums in history. But in the '90s, aside from Achtung Baby (which is overrated anyway), the guys essentially became a singles band that used its albums to find out just how much the group's fans would be willing to accept.

Around the Campus

By Ab D. Phillip · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:25 a.m.

INPIRG to hold rally at gas station; ONcourse seminar given by Information Technology; Want a job? Try RecSports; Chemistry lecture presented by graduate student.

Snoop's latest off the hizzook

By Natalie A. Trout · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:22 a.m.

Snoop Dogg is back at it again with his sixth album, Paid Tha Cost to be da Bo$$. It's as successful as any album in the past, with notoriously catchy Snoop beats and background music. It's off the hizzook. The Long Beach rapper is still at it with other MCs, such as Jay-Z, Redman, Nate Dogg, Warren G and Ludacris, on this album, and he also has a few solo tracks on it as well.

Union Board holds elections

By Ryota Kashiwa · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:21 a.m.

After more than 1,300 students voted today for next year's Union Board directors, eight students have secured their positions. The elected candidates in alphabetical order of their last names are junior Cory Buckner, junior Drew Goldberg, junior Adam Hitchcock, sophomore Mzilikazi Kone, sophomore Jeremy Morris, graduate student Dietrich Willke, sophomore Jessi Williams and junior Seth Zimmerman. This year, Goldberg was the major attractions director and Mzilikazi was the lectures director.

Destruction of artwork becoming a campus problem

By Corrinne Reynolds · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:21 a.m.

Megan Kinney, a senior sculpture major, spent countless hours and hundreds of dollars building and installing her most recent sculpture on campus. Until recently, the 11-foot tall structure, which consisted of a wooden frame and steel chairs, stood proudly on East Third Street near the Optometry Building. But, it was there for merely two weeks before it was torn down. Now the pieces lay scattered around the spot where it once stood.

Budget presented at IUSA meeting

By Corinne Reynolds and Corrinne Reynolds · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:20 a.m.

Monday night's IU Student Association meeting, which was the last of the semester, had a different feel from past meetings. Although there was debate and discussion on important matters, yelling and complaining was not heard. At the meeting, Blair Greenberg, student body treasurer, presented the IUSA Budget for the year. Greenberg recently came under criticism from some members of the IUSA congress for failing to present the budget sooner.

Soderberg probes deep thoughts

By by Isaac Edwards and Isaac Edwards · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:17 a.m.

In Steven Soderbergh's recent rendezvous with the experimental, George Clooney plays a psychologist sent to investigate an unraveling space crew in "Solaris." Russian master Andrei Tarkovsky first adapted the sci-fi classic into an epic, nearly-three-hour film in 1972 that was seen as a rival to Kubrick's "2001." After Soderbergh's last unwelcome exposure in the avant with "Full Frontal," many saw this next spaced-out foray as almost laughable. They aren't laughing anymore. Tightly directed and tautly trim at half of Tarkovsky's time, Soderbergh's "Solaris" is catching critics by surprise and leaving its audiences unexpectedly discussing metaphysics by the time the credits roll. When Chris Kelvin (Clooney) comes aboard the Prometheus, the sentient, oceanic planet Solaris is creating hallucinations of the past memories and repressed fantasies of the crew.

Louis Stevenson meets Disney

By Parker Witman and Parker Wittman · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:13 a.m.

I find it pretty hard to know what to expect out of Disney these days. While I'm not sure that the company has completely switched its attitude toward what kinds of movies to make, there does seem to be a push toward a new style of storytelling and a new approach to crafting the animated feature. Maybe this has all been brought on by the success of animated films from Pixar and Dreamworks, but like "Atlantis" before it, "Treasure Planet" represents a new form of Disney, one that trades the spontaneous musical numbers for a more kinetic action-adventure pace.

Animation can't save Sandler

By Sam Shahrani · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:07 a.m.

I'm going to make this short and sweet. Chances are, if you're an Adam Sandler fan, you'll have already seen this film by the time this review hits the page; for you, I'm so sorry. Yet, through the magic of newsprint, I can spread this warning far and wide to those that have not seen "8 Crazy Nights": DO NOT SEE THIS FETID PILE OF GARBAGE. Got it? Great. Go rent "Billy Madison" instead. The basic "plot" is that Davey Stone (Sandler) is running around his small town creating "mischief" that involves an ungodly amount of agonizing unfunny bodily function jokes. Sandler also pulls an Eddie Murphy and plays two additional characters in addition to Davey, the aged Whitey and Whitey's clueless sister, Eleanore. The trick is, you can completely tell it's Sandler voicing the characters, since altering his unique voice is about as easy as getting IU to a bowl game.

Spend your Friday somewhere else

By Parker Witman and Parker Wittman · Wednesday, Dec. 4,2002 12:03 a.m.

So it's Friday again, and who would have guessed it, Craig (Ice Cube) and Day-Day (Mike Epps) are behind on their rent. The only difference this time is that the two perennial slackers had their rent money swiped by a ghetto-Santa-Claus-thief (that, as they often remind you, is how it goes in the 'hood...ha). What's more, their naggy old landlady won't bend on the rent deadline and has promised the duo an encounter with her recently paroled nephew, a former jailhouse acquaintance of Craig and Day-Day who would love to "get to know them better" on behalf of his dear aunty. And now it's just like any other Friday. Our slacker heroes have 24 hours to come up with cash to protect their precious "dignity," and as you can imagine, their journey for the dough will run them into all sorts of trouble, create all sorts of excuses for fart jokes and introduce them to all sorts of madcap ghetto caricatures (well, maybe just a bunch of busty women, a mini-pimp and some good, old-fashioned 'hood-rats).