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The Indiana Daily Student

IUSA

The Indiana Daily Student

Cut it ... off?

By Alyson Brodsy and Amy Obermeyer · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12:01 a.m.

An 8-year-old Chicago boy is in the middle of a legal battle between his divorced parents. You might say, "This happens all the time." Not exactly like it's happening now. Specifically, his parents are standing in front of a judge, arguing as to whether or not he should be circumcised. To add insult to injury, his parents aren't allowed, by judicial order, to talk to him about it. This is not about a post-breakup culture clash. The boy's mother claims two separate doctors recommended the procedure simply for health reasons. Meanwhile, the father says the surgery is akin to "unnecessary amputation" and could cause his son physical and emotional harm.

The Indiana Daily Student

Access is everything

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.m.

Recently, we have criticized the triviality of this year's IU Student Association campaign platform issues. Much of what the campaigns are advocating this year are the resurrected issues that previous IUSA campaigns have proposed, and these old ideas never really took off under previous administrations. Because we recognize IUSA is limited in its power, we have proposed the candidates tackle more feasible issues and make real strides to accomplish what is within their abilities. We have advocated both tickets make campaign pledges to invest more money and student time in sexual assault prevention programs, a cause which neither ticket has so far accepted. Earlier this week, we asked the campaigns to start strongly pushing for student governance.

Carol Kaelson • Courtesy photo

Nine women, nine stories

By Alyson Brodsy and Olivia Morales · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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.

The Indiana Daily Student

Now presenting, the human body

By Alyson Brodsy and Rob O'Conner · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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.

The Indiana Daily Student

Family film defies logic

By Alyson Brodsy and Will Hernandez · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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.

The Indiana Daily Student

No need to chill out to this film

By Alyson Brodsy and Tristan Mathews · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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.

Brandon Foltz

All About Me

By IDS staff and Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.m.

She's a woman of the world. Leslie Elson, a senior double majoring in journalism and Spanish, began taking Spanish her first year at IU. But what she thought was just fulfilling her foreign language requirement eventually led to a once in a lifetime experiences she won't ever forget. When it comes to studying abroad, Elson has seen it all, or at least a lot of it. She's studied in Madrid, Spain and Cuernavaca, Mexico, which is about 50 miles directly south of Mexico City. "My first inspiration to study abroad was to fulfill the credit hours. But I enjoyed Mexico so much that I decided to go to Spain."

The Indiana Daily Student

A 'Date' to be stood up

By Alyson Brodsky and Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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.

The Indiana Daily Student

Film examines the Middle East

By Alyson Brodsy and Matt McMullan · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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.

The Indiana Daily Student

Early noir exploration

By C. Warner Sills and Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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.

Julianne Moore and Samuel L. Jackson attempt to analyze race relations while uncovering a mystery.

A failed look at race relations

By Alyson Brodsy and Olivia Morales · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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.

Pete Stuttgen

'Eros' DVD hard to love

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Wisner · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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).

Brandon Foltz

PetSounds

By Alyson Brodsy and Michael Mellini · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.m.

Coming to school and leaving friends and family behind can be hard. While you can't have your parents move in with you, it's possible to replace or find a new family pet. It's understandable why one might see the occasional student walking a dog through the Arboretum or in Dunn Meadow. And while stopping to pet that dog because it's cute might trigger a desire to go out and get an animal of your own, pets, especially in college, can be a big responsibility.

The Indiana Daily Student

A sweep of TV's crème de la crème

By Alyson Brodsy and Michael Mellini · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.m.

Poor February; you may be the shortest and coldest month of the year, but cry not, I still love you. After all, you provide me with February sweeps, the time when TV networks go all out to air the biggest and best shows. Each night during prime time I get to snuggle up to the warm glow of my TV, here are some highlights from sweeps so far. The Grammys -- Really, U2, again? Ok fine, but look how upset Kanye West was when he lost for best album. That got me screaming, "We want a recount, we want a recount!" And Mariah Carey, you've been performing for 15 years now. Stop flailing your arms while singing or I'm going to personally amputate them.

Chris Pickrell

Special edition spices 'Dune' up

By Alyson Brodsy and Derek Kagemann · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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.

Brandon Foltz

Oldschool

By Alyson Brodsy and Bryan Lufkin · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.m.

Remember the episode of "Doug" when everyone thought Skeeter was moving? Or how Uncle Scrooge would always spring off the diving board into a swimming pool filled to the brim with golden coins? Can you still hear Rocko's Australian accent or Rockapella singing the theme to "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" Or who could forget the "Saved by the Bell" gang swinging by The Max everyday for an after-school burger and shake? And, ahhh, Camp Anawana -- we held you in our hearts. And when we thought about you, it made us wanna fart.

The Indiana Daily Student

IDS CLASSIC ALBUMS

By Alyson Brodsy and John Barnett · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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.

The Indiana Daily Student

Band no longer 'Hidden'

By Alyson Brodsy and Patrick Hurley · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.m.

To call them the greatest band in the universe is an understatement. Before the release of The Hidden Land, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones decided to go on a one-year hiatus while individual members, each of whom holds more talent than almost anyone at their respective instrument, pursued solo projects. The almost completely instrumental album features 30 different types of sound producers, all giving Hidden a distinct flavor. These ingredients are enough to make the purchase of their first album in two and a half years worthwhile. The album begins with a little warm-up melody, which is understandable considering they've been away from each other for a year.

Jacqueline Cossairt

Valentine's poisonous debut

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Wisner · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.m.

Aside from a rather laughably cliché name, Trustkill Records' newest metallic sons Bullet for My Valentine have dropped a debut that could begin carving a name for themselves. Hailing from the UK and as their bio states, influenced early on by "worshipping the likes of Metallica, Testament and the almighty Iron Maiden," BFMV wear all these influences on their sleeves. They aren't anywhere near original, but at least they're not trying to deceive anyone.

Obama 2008

'Saw's' film buzz is back

By Alyson Brodsy and Greg Schoenbaechler · Thursday, Feb. 23,2006 12 a.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.

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