LAFAYETTE -- Halloween-lovers hoping to create the perfect jack-o-lantern might want to shop carefully this year because a pumpkin fungus has put a dent in some crops.
No invitations are necessary to attend IU Department of Theater & Drama's production of "The Birthday Party" by Harold Pinter. Opening 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre, this bizarre mystery guarantees to leave audience members with something to think about.
This little town amid the cornfields wasn't always a hub for world music. It was made that way by three men who wanted to manifest the spirit and folk tradition that embody the crossroads of America. There were three men in the Bloomington music community that met to discuss the creation of such a music festival, which would bring music of every culture to the town, back in 1996. Three and a half months later, the they had assembled 14 acts from around the world representing what they felt were the best and brightest stars in global music. Only one task remained: Naming the festival.
My Morning Jacket are an amalgamation of many genres, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what they sound like. Phish, Coldplay, Beck, Radiohead, Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd... take your pick. If you like any of the above, then you happen to be in the right place. Okonokos is a sprawling live album, almost two hours worth of sonic landscapes and jams that will make your ears bleed in a soothing way. Southern rock took some shrooms and stumbled onto stage, and this is what you hear. It's some pretty amazing stuff.
Joshua Gold began forging notes to get out of school in the fourth grade. He was that guy in your X201 class who rolled into lecture once in a blue moon and called you 10 minutes before a group meeting to say he couldn't come, regrettably ("I've just been really, really sick the past semester or so"). On the eve of I-Core, he dropped out of the Kelley School of Business because, let's face it, who really has the time or energy to study while in college? His resume: lifeguard, pool hand (inspired by a suggestive "Desperate Housewives" episode) and full-time New Jersey Shore beach bum (an occupation he chose during the summer he "didn't feel like working").
We see the Bloomington shuttle in the distance, stopping just a block away in front of Kilroy's Sports Bar. The girl in front of me picks up speed, her purse slapping against her thigh as she begins to do more than just the power-walk. I suddenly realize that when trying to catch a ride on the drunk bus, running and making a fool of yourself is totally acceptable. It's a mad dash up North Walnut Street, swerving through groups of half-drunken people holding onto slices of Rockit's pizza or just each other.
There's a strange phenomenon happening in rap these days. Eschewing quick, punchy lines for complex vocal structures, rappers have abandoned the art of the one-liner. (I blame Twista, but whatever.) Fortunately, for himself, Atlanta-based Ludacris has no such qualms.
"I've talked about a lot things ... I've covered a lot in my 20 years," says Janet, on the opening interlude, "Intro (20)." "But I want to keep things light, I want to have fun." And so begins 20 Years Old, a nod to Jackson's 20 years in the biz since her debut album "Control" came out. With the first several tracks, Janet infuses the same heavy dance beats and bump-and-grind style of her Rhythm Nation days. These "me" songs consist of Janet commanding someone to do the dirty, sexy deeds she's never been afraid to talk about. There's "Show Me" and "Do it 2 Me." After hearing any of those, and the fun "So Excited," one can't help but wonder why they weren't used as the album's first single, instead of the mid-tempo "Call on Me" featuring Nelly.
For those unfamiliar with the Scissor Sisters, let's make something clear: If you cannot stomach disco, you should quit reading here. In both Ta Dah and their self-titled debut, the Scissor Sisters vigorously reject disco's death -- as if they're avenging the July 12, 1979 mass-destruction of disco albums at Chicago's Comiskey Park. They aren't just influenced by disco -- they produce hyper-disco; the disco-iest disco on the market, shamelessly geared toward butt-shaking. So, if you think "disco sucks," just assume this album's an "F".
There are people out there who risk their lives to save others; people who are called to duty when things become too dangerous for even the army or navy. Those people serve as rescue swimmers on the United States Coast Guard, which, before the release of "The Guardian", never got the recognition it deserved. Kudos to director Andrew Davis ("A Perfect Murder") who, along with some help from writer Ron L. Brinkerhoff, brought to the big screen a legitimate portrayal of just how much risk rescue swimmers go to on a nearly daily basis.
Curious George is a good little monkey, but sometimes, he forgets. And sadly, it looks as though the creators of the "Curious George" DVD also forgot something important, at least to me. They forgot to include a director's commentary. Now I understand that its a kid's movie, and kids do not care about director commontaries. But I also know that I used to have a stuffed Curious George. Although I am not sure the current whereabouts of my stuffed friend, I am intrigued by how they turned a classic character into a fun and entertaining movie.
"The Lake House" attempts to be romantic. Its lame attempt is as feeble as the concept and rules it creates surrounding time travel. Yes, theories about time travel have their inherent paradoxes, and they can often be overlooked for the sake of a movie's theme and plot, but "The Lake House" is so unnecessarily convoluted and silly that it becomes a distraction.
"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." Yeah, I wrote that. Sounds deep, huh? Ok, I didn't really write it. I got it off some crappy Web site, but as current film and television trends suggest, as a twenty-something, I would be easily capable of ripping that quote down and taking shameless credit for it.
I hate Jon Heder. There's no other way to put it -- I simply cannot stand an actor who has played the same exact person in every role he's been given. Sure there are great character actors in the world, but Heder isn't one of them. Always the disillusioned dork, he simply stumbles his way through each scene by constantly sighing or going "Uhhhhh." Billy Bob Thornton, at this point, is no better. In "Bad Santa," his asshole ways were hysterical; "Bad News Bears" he was so-so. Now with "Scoundrels" he is yet again that same sarcastic jackass, only this time it isn't funny anymore. I even saw a trailer before the movie started, "Mr. Woodcock," in which he plays his trademark role alongside Seann William Scott aka Stiffler from the "American Pie" flicks. One can only imagine how unfunny it'll be.
Never heard of "Jigoku?" Well count me in as a member of a large group of people who've probably never heard of this Japanese horror classic. Literally translated into "Hell," "Jigoku" is a rather bold piece of filmmaking from Japan that was made way back in 1960. Two students, Shiro (Shigeru Amachi) and Tamura (Yoichi Numata), are driving along on a country road when suddenly a drunken man appears out of nowhere, and they run over him. Of course they speed off, all the while Shiro condemning his friend for the terrible deed, but this sad event in Shiro's life is only the beginning of what one might call "hell on Earth."
Senior ballerina Lauren Fadeley didn't spend her time dancing at her high school prom. Instead, she dedicated her time to preparing for the stage of the New York City Ballet. Being in the NYC ballet became overwhelming and an unhealthy atmosphere, she said. So now Fadeley has traded a professional career for an education and is spending her hours being a student and dancer in IU's Ballet Theater productions, including this weekend's Fall Ballet.
A friend of mine pointed out to me the other day that there are very few trash cans outdoors on the IU campus. The lack of trash receptacles on campus is unfortunate because it leads to more litter on the grounds of our beautiful home. If a student has a small piece of trash in his hand, he is more likely to throw it out if there is a trash can near by. Otherwise he will probably just drop it on the ground. I see no reason why there are so very few trash cans on campus.
Regarding "Art from all angles" by Colleen Carol (Sept. 21):
I had the misfortune to be driving today when I experienced a common college part of life: jaywalking. I have no problem with jaywalkers, heck I do it myself all the time. But the person I saw doing it today has to take the cake. I was trying to turn right onto Jordan from Third, but a young lady started to jaywalk. Light turns yellow and I console myself and say, "Hey, I'll just right on red it."
It was disheartening to see the IU School of Journalism lionize Christopher Hitchens, who practices the ultimate form of "newspeak" by domesticating the iconoclasm of George Orwell into sycophancy for President Bush's "War on Terror."
