Longform

Bookstores gear up for fifth Harry Potter book

By Lindsay Kaplan · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:29 p.m.

Hogwarts and wizards and frogs, oh my! It is no surprise that the release of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth and latest edition in the Harry Potter series, will be a celebratory occasion for many adoring fans.

Gilliam's truly 'Lost in La Mancha'

By -Alec Toombs · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:19 p.m.

Perry Gilliam is a director of immense skill. Churning out works of sheer brilliance ("Brazil," "The Fisher King" and "12 Monkeys"), or at the very least flawed yet fascinating filmmaking i.e. "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" -- the man's a master (albeit a strange one) of his field. That's part of what's so disheartening about "Lost in La Mancha," the documentary chronicling the rise and fall of Gilliam's Don Quixote-themed dream project.

'Go Wild' someplace else

By -Paul Straw · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:18 p.m.

While some may wonder why "Rugrats Go Wild" was made, one must look at the roots. The movie is a combination of both "Rugrats" and "The Wild Thornberry's," which have each had their own movies prior. "Rugrats" actually has two, which have made money. "The Wild Thornberry's" movie was even nominated for a Best Song Oscar.

Festival tours too bloated

By -Val Tsoutsouris · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:18 p.m.

I cannot believe it, but I have something nice to say about the Aerosmith-Kiss tour taking place later this summer.

Choose wisely, grasshopper

By Ryan Whirty · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:17 p.m.

Life is about choices. Life is about decisions. Life is about selecting our preferences, about identifying our preferences, about defining our opinions.

Even the ten-year-olds didn't laugh

By Jessica Halverson · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:17 p.m.

I'm sorry if you saw this movie. In fact, I apologize to my younger brother, who I convinced to accompany me. I apologize on behalf of Kerasotes for bringing this dumbfest to town. I apologize to the two ten-year-old boys and their fathers -- the only others at the showing I went to.

'Thief' purebred Radiohead

By by Isaac Edwards and Isaac Edwards · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:17 p.m.

When the beautiful people breed, their offspring are either endowed with an otherworldly genetic code of perfection, inheriting all of the best qualities, or they become Frank Stallone. With its sixth studio album officially out, Hail to the Thief is purebred Radiohead and a swaggering culmination of the band's best features. The Oxford-based rockers have delivered an album that draws from its critically acclaimed past and leaves us wondering where it'll go next.

'Talk to Her' takes the big sleep

By Brian Eliott Johnson · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:16 p.m.

"Talk to Her," Pedro Almodóvar's latest Spanish flick, explores the lives and emotional turbulence of two men, whose respective love interests are in a coma. While acted and directed well, the actual plot of the film is about as interesting as their brain-dead women.

Cop flick guilty of mediocrity

By Michelle Ruth · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:16 p.m.

This is another action flick for Harrison Ford, and yet it dulls in comparison to his previous works such as "The Fugitive" or the "Indiana Jones" series. "Hollywood Homicide" attempts to deviate from the usual suspenseful action film by being an action comedy that delves more into the personal lives of two detectives. But it ends up being less than suspenseful and lacking in focus due to an overload of subplots.

'Old School' goes new school on DVD

By -Alec Toombs · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:16 p.m.

"Old School" desperately wants to be "National Lampoon's Animal House," and it will go to any lengths to elicit a full-on, piss-your-pants laugh attack to prove it. Rightfully, it was a big hit in theaters. With a new unrated DVD, it's that much better. Well mostly, viewers are "treated" to additional helpings of Will Ferrell's bare ass.

Folking with the electronic formula in 'Rounds'

By Mia Partlow · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:13 p.m.

Four Tet's Rounds, the brainchild of Fridge musician Kieran Hebden, isn't just any electronic record. He has inspired the genre of trip hop, previously explored by only a few musicians (Portishead for one), to expand its boundaries. Warp Records is home to many talented electronic musicians who are freeing themselves from techno and house music with avant-garde electronica, Autechre and Aphex Twin being Four Tet's most illustrious label mates.

Metheny leaves them wanting less

By Seth Forster · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:12 p.m.

Yet another argument for bringing back vinyl would be that few people, even the geniuses, aren't as interesting to the rest of the world as they are to themselves. Records rarely exceeded 45 minutes because they physically couldn't (according to RIAA standards).

Allure present, but lost with art school

By Jessica Halverson · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:11 p.m.

Former British art student Allison Goldfrapp (with musical partner/composer Will Gregory) paints a picture of electronic mysticism and allure with her second full-length, Black Cherry. With roots in synth-driven eloquence, song titles like "Crystalline Green" tell all.

I 'Dream'ed this record was better

By -Val Tsoutsouris · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:10 p.m.

What do hard rock/metal fans look for in bands new to the genre? Probably not what's on Depswa's Two Angels and a Dream.

'Naked Pictures' in the Taco Bell

By Jessica Halverson · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:09 p.m.

Too bad Jack White decided to guest on this album, thereby lowering his IQ by association. Electric Six's mixture of neo-hair-metal stupidity ala Andrew W.K., but somehow worse, is an exercise in blandness. You wouldn't think an album attempting to be chock full of adrenaline could be this vanilla, but with lyrics like "Fire in the disco/Fire in the Taco Bell/Fire in the disco/Fire in the gates of hell," and barely-developed attempts at keyboard coolness, Fire is all smoke.

Metallica's latest a 'St.' of an album

By Doug Auer · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:08 p.m.

After a five-year hiatus, experimentation with orchestras, a fight with Napster and the loss of bassist Jason Newsted, Metallica returns.

Steely Dan 'Must Go' back to its old ways

By -Val Tsoutsouris · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:07 p.m.

Steely Dan always represented the finest of both coasts, combining New York street wisdom with L.A. studio panache. It was among the best American bands of the '70s.

Hanging on in the computer age

By Michael Tapscott · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:07 p.m.

Somewhere in the bleakest of all possible worlds lie the fellows from Grandaddy. Obsessed with the dissolution of nature and its eventual and inevitable displacement by technology, the group is able to paint extremely vivid pictures of a burnt-out planet.

Taste of Bloomington offers local cuisine and live music in downtown Bloomington

By Michelle Ruth · Wednesday, June 18,2003 8:04 p.m.

Whatever your food cravings might be, they are sure to be satisfied at the 21st Annual Taste of Bloomington held at Showers Plaza at Seventh and Morton Street on Saturday, June 21. The event allows visitors to sample a wide variety of food from 34 local restaurants and enjoy a day of live entertainment by local and regional bands. Proceeds from the event benefit two local charities: the Monroe County Community Kitchen and the Hoosier Hills Food Bank.

3 music students awarded

Sunday, June 15,2003 9:32 p.m.

Three IU music students recently won awards for music composition at the 51st BMI Student Composer Awards, held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Graduate students Ben Jacob and Joseph Sheehan and sophomore Jeffrey Stanek were announced Friday as winners in this prestigious competition.