Region

'Have they lost their minds?'

By Alyson Brodsy and Carrie Ritchie · Wednesday, July 26,2006 7:24 p.m.

When I heard the rumor that Andy Roddick was pursuing Jimmy Connors as his coach, my first thought was, "Oh my." And when Roddick confirmed Monday that Connors is his coach, I didn't even know what to think, other than, "Have they both lost their minds??" To me, it seems that Roddick should choose someone calmer and someone who has been around the game more recently than the 53-year-old Connors, who retired back in 1992 and hasn't really done anything professional tennis-related since, aside from playing senior tennis and trying to create an all-star exhibition doubles match in 2004. Still, I guess the key word in the previous sentence is calmer. Call me crazy, but I can't picture Connors patiently analyzing Roddick's strengths and weaknesses and intently working with him to hone his streaky backhand and net game. And I certainly can't see Connors helping Roddick work out his mental issues.

Abrupt ending enhances 'Thorns' intrigue

By Alyson Brodsy and Lindsey Landis · Wednesday, July 26,2006 7 p.m.

Rebecca Horsfall's dazzling dive into the mysterious lives of the world's most elite ballet dancers is impossible to put down. In fact, I couldn't for the few days that it took me to read the nearly 800-page novel, "Dancing on Thorns." Each day, I read several new chapters in the lives of the Islington Ballet dancers, following their triumphs, trials and scandalous love affairs with each other. I was drawn into their world and I was very disappointed to be thrust out at the abrupt ending.

Festival will celebrate eastern culture

By Christina Stigliani · Wednesday, July 26,2006 6:58 p.m.

The Bloomington-based Silk Road Ensemble will present its 14th annual Silk Road Bayram, a word meaning "festival" or "celebration" in several Turkic languages, from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. July 30 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Kirkwood Avenue. The event will begin with an exhibit of arts and handicrafts at 2:30 p.m., followed by a concert with the theme of "Musical Stops on the Silk Road." The performances will include guest artists from several regions and a fashion show. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

Japanese love story on stage with Opera Theater's 'Mikado'

By David A. Nosko · Wednesday, July 26,2006 6:55 p.m.

Summer fun is often associated with baking in the sun and eating barbecue by the ton, but community members are invited to dress their best for a night of Gilbert and Sullivan opera. IU Opera Theater is showcasing Arthur Gilbert and W.S. Sullivan's Japanese-themed "The Mikado," acclaimed as one of the most popular musical masterpieces ever written, at 8 p.m. July 28-29 and Aug. 4-5 at the IU Musical Arts Center. "The Mikado," which opened internationally March 14, 1885 at the Savoy Theatre in London and nationally August 19, 1885 at the New York Fifth Avenue Theatre, tells the "timeless" tale of two young lovers who strive for romance despite a windfall of family and cultural obstacles.

Bloody playground

By Alyson Brodsy and David A. Nosko · Wednesday, July 26,2006 6:29 p.m.

Two-hundred thousand years of humanity is littered with folklore of neighbor-to-neighbor conquest for every reason from "oh, pillaging feels good," to "my God is supreme," to the psychopathology of manifest destiny. But those claims to national shame no longer have an audience in the global community, considering that human beings need one another to exist. "We the (world's) people" are responsible for setting the international tone in regards to liberty, justice and freedom for all. Moreover, humanity's obligation to her children and grandchildren is to prove that face-to-face dialogue within communities and the global political sphere -- in the name of "human being" goodwill -- can and will conquer all social oppression, government tyranny and terror -- at home or abroad. But have we?

Touring Utica

By Alyson Brodsy and Jordan DeLong · Wednesday, July 26,2006 6:28 p.m.

Utica, N.Y., is a nasty, run-down old city that has almost nothing to offer. Once a place of proud and productive industry, Utica fell apart years ago when the mines stopped producing and the government of the town failed to keep other businesses afloat. The town now sits, a bloated ghost town, abandoned buildings lining streets created for traffic that isn't there. I decided to visit Utica because a buddy of mine was having his 21st birthday, and I wanted to celebrate -- not to mention get out of Washington, D.C. for a while. I ended up taking a series of Greyhound buses and spending 12 hours sitting next to increasingly disturbing people.

Miss hungry

By Alyson Brodsy and Michelle Manchir · Wednesday, July 26,2006 6:27 p.m.

Last Sunday, a beautiful 18-year-old woman from Puerto Rico, Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza, won the title and a $250,000 crown of Miss Universe. About 40 minutes later, at a news conference, she passed out. The Associated Press and Reuters News Online reported she'd been standing under hot stage lights for hours "in a stifling auditorium" while wearing a dress composed of metal chains, causing her fall. A valid explanation -- but I can't help but think there's more to it. Upon studying beauty pageants, their complexities and cultural implications in class (going well beyond the 'they are degrading for women' argument) and screening documentaries about contestants' experiences in the pageants, I can't help but think that Mendoza passed out partly because she hadn't consumed a substantial meal in days -- or even weeks.

Summer internship equity

By IDS staff and Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, July 26,2006 6:23 p.m.

In today's competitive job environment, securing a summer internship might be the deciding factor in landing a great job after college. Not only does the internship provide valuable experience in a field, but it also ensures networking opportunities -- students often gain indispensable contacts who will help them with references and connections later on.

Get these snakes off my plane!!

By Alyson Brodsy and Bethany Bannister-Andrews · Wednesday, July 26,2006 4:26 p.m.

Buckle your seat belts ladies and gentlemen. There are snakes on this plane. Yet this is no ordinary snake-filled plane -- this is an airplane flying from Hawaii to Los Angeles with a ton of poisonous snakes, there to kill a mob witness and everyone on board. Unless federal agent Samuel L. Jackson, the owner of "motherfucking" movie lines, has his way. This upcoming movie, "Snakes on a Plane," hits theaters across the country August 18, with the first official teaser trailer premiering before X-Men 3: The Last Stand in May. Like many summer blockbusters, the anticipation leading up to its release is high, yet this film has a particularly unique following. It's rare that a movie like SoaP received such extensive parody before its release, and even before its official publicity started. Cult films like "Evil Dead," "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Reefer Madness" didn't have massive amounts of followers until after their release, often years later. The "Star Wars" movies, particularly the original trilogy, and "Star Trek," in all its incarnations, have a dedicated fan culture that developed once audiences filled the theaters on and after opening day.

Smith strikes back

By Alyson Brodsy and John Barnett · Wednesday, July 26,2006 3:55 p.m.

When Kevin Smith misfires, he misfires big. When he hits his target, be prepared to laugh your silly ass off. With many of his fans still left with the sour taste of "Jersey Girl" and about half of "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" in their mouths, Smith returns to his roots with a sequel to the film that made him famous. Thankfully, "Clerks II" is an exercise in Smith firing on all cylinders in terms of both his writing and his direction of physical comedy. It's also his best movie since the original "Clerks."

'Lady' is a bore

By Alyson Brodsy and Matt McMullan · Wednesday, July 26,2006 3:53 p.m.

M. Night Shyamalan is one pretentious son of a bitch, and his latest film, "Lady in the Water," sucks. There, I said it. That was hard for me. I am, admittedly, an M Night Shyamalaniac. I thought "The Sixth Sense" was entertaining. I enjoyed "Unbreakable" and "Signs." I even thought "The Village" was pretty boss. But sometimes things go too far. You trust someone to make a decent film, you welcome the guy into your home and readily defend his more questionable titles to people you assume are small-minded assholes. And the next thing you know there's money missing from the dresser and your daughter's knocked up; your trust has been abused.

Every guy's worst nightmare

By Alyson Brodsy and Michael Mellini · Wednesday, July 26,2006 3:52 p.m.

If you thought Superman had father figure issues, Kal-El's got nothing on G-girl, the heroine of "My Super Ex-Girlfriend." A lack of fatherly affection at a young age is the only possible explanation for the insane way she lashes out at gentlemen callers. Luke Wilson plays Matt Saunders, an unsuccessful dater who takes a chance on asking out a stranger, Jenny Johnson, on a subway. Unbeknownst to Matt, Jenny is actually superhero, G-Girl (Uma Thurman). The two start to date and Matt gets to experience what it's like to be with someone who is, well, super. During the first hour the film's tone is kept quick and breezy. It actually manages to sneak in some good laughs about what it'd be like to date a super. And because it never really takes itself too seriously, it manages to be kind of fun. But it's all down hill once Matt dumps Jenny, and as G-Girl, she begins to make his life hell.

More filth than fun

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Grenn · Wednesday, July 26,2006 3:50 p.m.

Who is the artist known as Peaches? She's got a mouth like a Red Fox record. She's honed minimal beats in the vein of Kraftwerk. She's a girl power rocker influenced by Joan Jett (we'll come back to her later). She's dirtier than Lil' Kim and Missy Elliot. The PMRC would have a heart attack if they heard this. Is it punk or disco, electronica or rap? Well, it's all of the above. Peaches brings the trashiness with her new album, Impeach My Bush. Sexual innuendo is included. It's always good to start a record off with the f-word. "Fuck or Kill" is a short punk anthem against our president with a sexual twist (or is it the other way around?). Things move right into a dance floor shaker. Straight up dirty synth and hand claps, "Tent In Your Pants" is basically raunchy electroclash trash.

Alt-Country supergroup returns

By Alyson Brodsy and Ty Schrock · Wednesday, July 26,2006 3:49 p.m.

A conglomeration of members of the Jayhawks, Soul Asylum and Big Star, among others, the "supergroup" Golden Smog is now probably most notable for its most famous member, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. Another Fine Day, the group's first offering since 1998, is a mixed bag of an album that disappointingly yields mixed results. Tweedy, who is no stranger to side projects (Loose Fur, The Minus Five) contributes on fewer than half of the album's 15 tracks, and only has writing credits on two. Day reduces the rocking twang that most of the members' previous groups (and also the previous Smog albums) were known for, in favor of a slicker pop sound, which is much more of a hindrance than a breakthrough. Reportedly this whole project was started when director Guy Ritchie approached Smog and Jayhawk member Marc Perlman about writing a song for a Corvette commercial he was directing. The resulting song, "Corvette," which sounds like a lost Go-Go's track, is so cheap and cheesy that you can't even imagine these guys playing it without cringing. And in this slight direction goes about half of the album; modest and breezy Chilton-esque pop that sounds uninspired far too often. There are a few standouts, though. The driving piano of "You Make it Easy" opens the album with some bite, and "Cure For This," is an acoustic beauty, with Jayhawk Gary Louris trading bittersweet harmonies with guest vocalist Muni Camon. The Todd Rundgren-esque "Think About Yourself" closes the album with a rumination on egotism amid swirling organs and corkscrew guitar.

Not quite gravity defying

By Alyson Brodsy and Jeff O'Reilly · Wednesday, July 26,2006 3:47 p.m.

In an interview with Ozric video jockey and lighting director Peter Berdovsky, Berdovsky told me one of the most important things he's learned from touring with the Ozric Tentacles is to change one's socks. Frequently. This bit of podiatric wisdom seems to aptly apply when documenting the evolution of Englishman Ed Wynne's psytrance rock outfit. For the better half of their 20-year history, the band has changed lineups as often as Berdovsky changes socks. The only constant in the equation has been Wynne, and the Ozric's 20+ albums reflect this. The Floor's Too Far Away finds the current incarnation of the Ozrics revisiting the already charted outer limits of electronic prog-rock, with their trademark Goa grooves and mastery of their respective instruments. Deliver something new it does not, but it certainly is a testament to Wynne's mastery of psychedelia.

What a day for a 'Daydream'

By Alyson Brodsy and Josh Milrod · Wednesday, July 26,2006 3:42 p.m.

In 1988, the traditional rock lineup of two guitars, bass and drums was dead. At the tail end of this decade of hair metal excess, Sonic Youth came crashing into the forefront of the rock scene with the release of their magnum opus Daydream Nation. Instead of rock's prescribed roles of lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, bassist and drummer, Sonic Youth opted for noise guitarist, noise guitarist, noise bassist and noise drummer. Utilizing alternate tunings and foreign objects jammed under the frets of the guitars, the band created lush textures never before heard in the world of popular rock music.

Legendary Band Shines On

By C. Warner Sills and Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, July 26,2006 3:38 p.m.

The first adjective to come to mind when thinking about Pink Floyd is epic. Floyd is and always has been a pioneer of the grandiose. From its thick blankets of synthesized soundscapes to its often over-the-top visual spectacles and stage presence, Floyd is a master of crafting the magnificent. The "Pulse" concert was recorded/filmed at Earl's Court in London in 1994 circa the band's Division Bell tour. While the post-Wall, post-Roger Waters segment of Pink Floyds musical epoch is often considered the lowest point of the band's career, "Pulse" manages to step away from any of these misconceptions, instead showcasing a beautifully aged and matured Floyd who, despite being past their musical peak, continues to shine on with each awe-inspiring musical note.

Teen Flick Delivers

By Alyson Brodsky and Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, July 26,2006 3:31 p.m.

Amanda Bynes is quite the teen queen and unlike rivals Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff, not only can Bynes act, but she is also funny, which is why she was able to make this movie such a success. Writers Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, of "10 Things I Hate About You" and "Legally Blonde", bring you "She's the Man" a story that is much like a modern day version of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." Amanda Bynes plays Viola, a tomboy whose life is soccer. Viola is the star on the girl's team at Cromwell Prep until the school cuts the girl's team from their sports program. And when both the coach and her (ex) boyfriend snub her from playing on the guy's team, Viola decides to disguise herself as her twin brother, Sebastian (James Kirk) and play on the team of Cromwell's rival school, Illyria. Since Sebastian just enrolled at Illryia and nobody knows him there, Viola decides the timing couldn't be more perfect, especially since Sebastian decides he is going to London for the next two weeks.

Old for his age

By Alyson Brodsy and David A. Nosko · Wednesday, July 26,2006 3:25 p.m.

In the children's game of hopscotch a picture with several sections is scribbled onto the ground. Each player then takes turns tossing a rock to each section, jumping to the section on one leg, picking up the rock and tossing it onto the next section; so and so forth until one player completes the picture. As is the hopscotch life of folk musician Mike Younger, hopping from town to town on his 11 city tour. Younger is set to rock and roll Bloomington audiences Saturday, July 29 at 7 p.m. atop the Buskirk-Chumley Theater stage. Following the release of his second album, "Every Stone You Throw," Younger's trip to B-town is the second to last of the tour which has included his jamming at several clubs and on-air radio shows.

Hungry for Art

By Alyson Brodsy and David A. Nosko · Wednesday, July 26,2006 3:14 p.m.

Art is often showcased and appreciated only in galleries, museums and other "official" artistic places like artisan studios. Acknowledging that art is all around us, Bloomington restaurants offer their wall space as a community canvas to further student and townie art expression. Never mind framed prints of Matisse, Monet or Picasso to attract customer dollars. Local eateries such as Tutto Bene, Lennie's Restaurant and Michael's Uptown Café and Bakery offer local artists the opportunity to exhibit their artwork in their business space for display-only or selling purposes. Although different local businesses fill their walls with art for different purposes, the common thread tying all local eateries displaying local art is a love for the Bloomington artisan community.