Longform

House moves to pass state bestiality law

By AP Reports and Alexandra R. Moses · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 9:29 p.m.

Sexual relations with animals would be a crime in Indiana under a bill designed to toughen penalties for animal abuse. An Indiana House committee on Wednesday unanimously approved the bill, which was introduced after a man was charged with stealing a chicken and killing the animal while having sex with it in northwest Indiana.

Parents of missing students push for new Indiana legislation

By Alberto D. Morales · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 8:14 p.m.

A bill that would make it easier for missing persons to be found by making them a "high-risk missing person" is scheduled to be introduced into the Indiana House of Representatives on Thursday.

Myers' request for new trial denied

By Brian Spegele · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 8:14 p.m.

Morgan Superior Court Judge Christopher Burnham denied an appeal for the conviction of John Myers II, the man a jury found guilty of murdering IU sophomore Jill Behrman in May 2000.

Sampson shirts are a little scary

By Jacob Stewart and Jake Stewart · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 7:57 p.m.

I love Kelvin Sampson. You love Kelvin Sampson. I'll bet even Bruce Weber loves Kelvin Sampson (even though we'll never hear him say it in public). And why not? Sampson has IU winning again, has replaced a lackadaisical Mike Davis with intensity worthy of the Big Ten and is fighting for an IU student section. What's not to love? And so we've expressed our love in the only way we know how here at IU: T-shirts!

Live from the Beehive

By C. Warner Sills and Craig Shank and Zach Pollakoff · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 7:11 p.m.

Don't get us wrong, we play a lot of Indie rock. It's not that we've given up on classic rock, that we don't seriously crave Akon at a dance party, or that, if we could, we'd rank JT at number one last year, but at WIUX we have a mission statement that we love to adhere to. Underrepresented artists and local music take priority here.

Superman versus the studio system

By C. Warner Sills and Chris Wisner · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 7:09 p.m.

Upon release, "Hollywoodland" and "The Black Dahlia" had the unfortunate circumstance of squaring off with one another with only a week's separation in theaters -- two major films about two of the biggest deaths in old Hollywood. While "Dahlia" certainly made the bigger buck at the box office, "Hollywoodland" proved to have a better payoff when it comes down to the story and performances.

Classic stand up gets weak DVD

By C. Warner Sills and Benny Goldman · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 7:06 p.m.

Twenty-three years after it was one of the first HBO comedy specials, Eddie Murphy's long awaited DVD release of "Delirious" is finally here. "Delirious," which chronicles a performance at Washington, D.C.'s Constitution Hall in 1983 is raunchy, controversial and very funny. It shows a brash 22-year-old fresh off the success of an incredible three-year run on "Saturday Night Live" looking more confident than ever.

Romantic Love, dead at 900

By Brian J. McFillen and Brain J. McFillen · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 7:01 p.m.

Romantic Love, a cultural icon best known for inspiring millions of greeting cards, was found dead on Wednesday. He was more than 900 years old.

Gondry turns good filmmaking into a 'Science'

By C. Warner Sills and Mark Perlman-Price · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 7:01 p.m.

My head hurts a bit, but don't take that as a bad sign. Michel Gondry's "The Science of Sleep" kind of blew my mind. Those familiar with Gondry's previous works such as "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" or even the various music videos he's directed, will be appropriately prepared for his unique style.

'Flags' flies high

By C. Warner Sills and Wes Jakacki · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 6:56 p.m.

In "Flags of Our Fathers," a World War II film adapted from the John Bradley novel, Clint Eastwood makes a time piece that portrays the feelings and mindset of the greatest generation in American history. The movie does an excellent job of paying homage to the men and women who gave their lives to preserve our way of life, as it shows the soldiers in a glorious light.

The peak of a quirky career

By C. Warner Sills and John Barnett · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 6:50 p.m.

If you've ever been to or even seen footage of a Flaming Lips show, then you know the meaning of a bad trip. From album to album, all the way back to 1986's Hear It Is to last year's At War With The Mystics, ringleader Wayne Coyne and his band have striven for a unique blend of surreal lyrical imagery and imminently listenable, albeit often cautious, sonic experimentation. The highlight of their 20-plus year career together is 1999's The Soft Bulletin, a record about everything from scientists to spider bites that could well be the trippiest record ever made by a bunch of guys who claim sobriety.

No "Conquer"ing here

By C. Warner Sills and Craig Shank · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 6:47 p.m.

Those who know about the Hydra Head label associate it with the heavy, sprawling and inventive metal music that is conducive to head banging or other equally impressive movements that will allow your extremities to flail about or shift in some sort of complementary fashion.

'Go to Town'

By C. Warner Sills and Brian McFillen · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 6:37 p.m.

If you haven't heard of Field Music yet, you're far from alone -- their 2005 self-titled debut garnered some attention in their native Britain, but only created a minor buzz in U.S. indie circles, where it was buried under the sea of U.K. post-punk groups following in the wake of Franz Ferdinand's breakthrough (a somewhat unfair result, as the band's sound is quite distant from many of these acts -- but, more on that in a moment).

The Price is right

By C. Warner Sills and Benny Goldman · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 6:32 p.m.

Every once in a while a rap album comes along that makes me re-evaluate my whole music repertoire and wonder why I listen to anything other than great rap music. Sean Price's Jesus Price Supastar is the latest in that category. Price, once known as Ruck in the duo Heltah Skeltah, is incredibly consistent on his 16-track sophomore solo effort.

Aussies bring fresh sound

By C. Warner Sills and Wes Jakacki · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 6:29 p.m.

Nearly two years after its release, Melbourne's Cat Empire drags their sophomore effort across to U.S. shores, but it's no less fresh than it was upon its original release. Cat Empire is a six-piece musical melting pot of jazz, reggae, ska, funk, rock and even hip-hop. On their second album, Two Shoes, Cat Empire brings a mix of all these world music styles to make a truly great record.

Barenaked Ladies are messing with you

By C. Warner Sills and Anthony Babcock · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 6:26 p.m.

The move to making an independent label has allowed Barenaked Ladies to have complete creative freedom in their choices for their recent release. You may remember seeing Barenaked Ladies Are Me reviewed just a few months ago and be wondering why they have another album out so soon. This is because Barenaked Ladies Are Men is the "second half" of the 29 total tracks of Barenaked Ladies Are Me.

Pop-rockers get props from Jay-Z and Babyface

By C. Warner Sills and John Barnett · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 6:21 p.m.

There's a kind of blissful arrogance that comes along with titling the first track on your album "Thriller" with zero hint of irony. Fall Out Boy, composed of earnest singer/guitarist Patrick Stump, impish bassist/lyricist Pete Wentz and the other two guys who get less attention, namely lead guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley, embrace the idea that arrogance is bliss on their fourth LP, which is probably the best album of a young 2007 so far.

Send this one into orbit with 'Pluto Nash'

By C. Warner Sills and Brian Hettmansperger · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 6:14 p.m.

It's been 19 years since "Coming to America," seven years since the Klumps and almost a month since Eddie Murphy earned an Oscar nomination for his role in "Dreamgirls." So, what is Murphy going to do next? Throw on a 'fro and get back to his outrageous, gross-out comedy roots with his newest flick, "Norbit."

Hannibal better before 'Rising'

By C. Warner Sills and Doug Evans · Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 5:58 p.m.

Just when you thought the story of film's most legendary psychopath could go no further, Hollywood has delivered us a prequel. How unfitting for a character as diabolic and unfathomable as Hannibal Lecter.

UPDATE: IU CAMPUS CLOSED UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, Feb. 14,2007 12:37 p.m.

The IU administration has closed campus until noon today. Classes that begin before noon will not meet and non-critical employees are not obligated to come to work, said IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre.