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(03/10/10 5:00am)
As my time here at the Tan & Cardinal comes to an end, I decided to sit down and conduct one more interview. My interviewee is someone that I know incredibly well and would provide me with a fitting end to my T&C; career. Peter Behr, meet Peter Behr.Peter Behr: So Pete, do you mind if I call you Pete?Peter Behr: Yes.Peter Behr: So Peter, you've been the Arts & Entertainment editor here on the Tan & Cardinal for a year now. You've been part of an award-winning team, you went through a complete design overhaul and you went to a conference in New York among many other things. What are you going to remember most about working here?Peter Behr: That's your first question? What will I remember most? That is such a sappy and typical goodbye interview question. I thought we were going to avoid those types of questions, Pete.Peter Behr: It's Peter.Peter Behr: Yeah, sorry. Anyway, what will I remember most? I guess I will remember the people and the friendships that I made with everyone, the laughter and the late nights, the music and most of all the terrible white boy dance moves.Peter Behr: That was boring.Peter Behr: It was a boring question.Peter Behr: Fair enough. Let's move on. Describe the Tan & Cardinal in one word.Peter Behr: Readable.Peter Behr: That's debatable. If you could change one thing about your time as an editor, what would you change?Peter Behr: I would be the opinion editor. It's a way easier job. Also, I think I would run about 30 percent more cutouts. I am always telling people that we don't have enough cutouts.Peter Behr: How did you even get this job? You seem to be completely clueless on everything newspaper related.Peter Behr: I'm pretty sure everyone just felt bad for me. I mean, I'd been hanging around for two and half years before I got the job. I guess I just wore everyone down. That, and I had a pair of speakers and was willing to handle music-playing duties.Peter Behr: Why did you decide to apply in the first place? You clearly weren't prepared for the responsibilities this job entails.Peter Behr: Well, I got hungry a lot on Wednesday nights, so I figured if I was eating the dinner the Campus Center provided I might as well get paid for it.Peter Behr: How incredibly noble of you. Would you say the food was worth your time?Peter Behr: I would say that I earned my paycheck just by eating that "food."Peter Behr: What was your biggest challenge working on the paper?Peter Behr: Thinking of story ideas. The main problem is that when I thought of an excellent story idea, I always wanted to write it myself. Because let's be honest. I'm the best.Peter Behr: Some of your critics paint you as a vain, self-aggrandizing diva caricature of a human being. How do you react to that?Peter Behr: Well, I did "interview" myself for a goodbye column. I suppose it doesn't get any vainer than that. But since you called me vain, what does that make you?Peter Behr: Touché.Peter Behr: Well, I think it's about time we wrapped this farce up. Last question: Any suggestions to the new staff?Peter Behr: Start working on your goodbye column now, that way when it's actually due, you won't be writing it on the Wednesday before it's due.Peter Behr: You truly are a terrible, lazy excuse for a newspaper man. Thanks for taking the time to sit down with me and give everyone an insight into your time at the T&C.;Peter Behr: I'm welcome. t&c;Peter Behr is a senior journalism major and is the arts & entertainment editor for the t&c.;
(02/24/10 5:00am)
When it comes to terrifying locales, it doesn't get much scarier than a mental hospital for the criminally insane, except of course a mental hospital for the criminally insane that is on an island only accessible by a single ferry boat. That is the setting for Martin Scorsese's newest psychological thriller "Shutter Island." The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels, who is investigating a patient disappearance at Ashcliffe Hospital located on Shutter Island. It doesn't take long for Teddy and his partner Chuck, played by Mark Ruffalo, to realize that there is something strange about Ashcliffe, and they go about trying to uncover what it is. Standing in their way is the staff of the hospital, headed by Dr. Cawley, played by Ben Kingsley. The film isn't lacking in creepy moments. There are plenty of dark corridors in Ashcliffe to explore, and Scorsese does an excellent job of ratcheting up the tension as Teddy wanders around dark corridors and encounters unsettling patients. Scorsese's incredible talent is on display throughout the film with creepy camera shots, smooth cuts and an overall wonderfully polished film. But unfortunately, he doesn't hit the highs of some of his other films. The biggest issue with "Shutter Island" is that it can't completely figure out what kind of film it wants to be. Throughout the movie the suspense is built around what is really happening at Ashcliffe, and as Teddy digs deeper into the mysteries, the viewer gets a deeper insight into his own mind and motives. Unfortunately, when the eventual twist is revealed, it isn't an incredibly mind-blowing one, and is one that an astute observer would probably pick out fairly early into the film. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, if the film had focused more on what Teddy was experiencing and going through instead of trying to confuse the viewer and build up curiosity, the film's ultimate climax would have been emotionally stronger. Instead of caring how Teddy feels at the end, the viewer is left contemplating how they felt about the twists and turns of the movie, and it subtracts from the emotional connection that the audience was building with the characters. The acting is incredibly solid throughout, which is to be expected with such a veteran cast. Both DiCaprio and Kingsley turn in wonderful performances, but it was Ruffalo as DiCaprio's partner Chuck and Ted Levine as the warden who steal the show with their performances. Also worth mentioning is Michelle Williams' portrayal of Teddy's late wife Dolores. All things considered, "Shutter Island" is a beautifully made creepy flick with plenty of suspense and intrigue, but the overreliance on red herrings and simple trickery prevents it from being something truly special. t&c;
(01/07/10 5:00am)
The holidays have passed. All of the presents have been unwrapped, the champagne corks popped, the resolutions made and already broken and, unfortunately, all the good movies for the year have been released. So you've seen "Sherlock Holmes," "The Blind Side," "Up in the Air" and "Avatar" (probably twice); what's next? January and February are often considered the worst months of the year for movie releases. So in light of the fact that there won't be any good movies coming out for awhile, why not take it way too far in the other direction? For the next couple months, watch nothing but bad movies. Movies made by the bad movie kings, The Asylum. Didn't get enough of James Cameron's "Avatar?" Well how about checking out the movie that is based on the story that inspired James Cameron, "The Princess of Mars," starring Anthony Sabato Jr. and conveniently released by The Asylum a few weeks after "Avatar." It's a tale of how a marine is transported to a distant planet (Mars) in the middle of a crisis and how his decisions affect the fate of the planet. Sound familiar? But don't expect 3-D, good acting, directing or really anything that resembles "Avatar." If "Avatar" isn't your cup of tea, then how about heading to a place where they love tea? Head back to England for another romp with the world's most famous sleuth, Sherlock Holmes. No, not the holiday blockbuster starring Robert Downey Jr. I'm talking about the Sherlock Holmes with a killer robot, and giant dinosaurs and dragons attacking London. Exactly how they get away with calling this "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes" is a mystery not even the real Holmes could solve. The Asylum has put out a total of nearly 300 movies. Most of them have been rip-offs of major blockbusters such as "Transmorphers," "The Land That Time Forgot," "100 Million B.C.," "The Day the Earth Stopped," "Snakes on a Train," "Paranormal Entity" and more. Even with all the schlocky releases, The Asylum has had a couple of hits that became cult classics. "Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus" became popular when the trailer for the film went viral over the Internet, and since then it has been a favorite among lovers of bad movies. The amazing thing about The Asylum is that even with their nearly nonexistent production values and their frequently over-the-top stories, Wired magazine reported that the company made nearly $5 million in revenue this past year, which brings to mind the question, how? With nearly no advertising money and hardly any shooting time (the films average about 10 days to shoot) and using inexpensive computer graphics, The Asylum pockets nearly all the money they make off the movies. How do they make that money? Simple. They hope people see their movies, get confused, and rely on the fact that they have some pretty decent-looking box art. They are hoping that people confuse "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" with "Transmorphers: Fall of Man." And it works. The Asylum just keeps churning out films, they make an average of 13 a year. So for the next couple months, instead of waiting until spring for the next good movie, why not pop some corn and watch a couple of truly awful movies that parody the good movies? After all, it is the season for bad flicks. t&c;
(10/01/09 4:00am)
Next year, Otterbein will require all juniors to live on campus, which will rob them of key life experiences. With the new policy that students must live on campus until their senior year, Otterbein is delaying the education of their students. Not what they learn in the classroom, but what they learn by living on their own outside of the dorm womb. When students live in the dorms, they are living on their own in a sense, but so many different things are taken care of that they don't really learn how to live on their own. Having freshmen or sophomores living in the dorms is by far the smartest thing to do. It makes sense that it's mandatory. Moving out of their house and living alone at 18 can be daunting, so it only makes sense to take smaller steps to living on their own. However, once students hit their junior year, they are usually mature enough to begin living on their own. By forcing juniors to live on campus so Otterbein can fill up the dorms, the college is robbing students of both a learning experience and a fun time. Living off campus can be fun. Whether it's in an apartment or in a house, you start to learn a lot more about yourself and others when you move out of the dormitories. Living in the dorms is certainly easier, and it does have some advantages over living off campus. You don't have to worry about paying for utilities, you have all your meals taken care of, and you can usually find friends in the rooms around you. However, you don't get a sense of your own space. You certainly don't learn anything about living on your own. No bills, no cooking, and you don't have too much to keep clean. Living off campus can be a serious challenge for some people, but at the same time, it's probably going to be your best memories of college, provided you don't completely hate your roommates. The first year I lived off campus, I was in a house on Knox Street with four of my friends, and a fifth friend who slept on the couch. It was crowded, loud, there were piles of dirty dishes everywhere, and it was by far the best time I ever had at Otterbein. It wasn't easy to live there. Having to worry about utilities was a problem during the winter. We kept the house at a frigid temperature but our heating bill was still astronomical, but I learned more about living away from home in that year than I did in all the time I lived in the dorms. It certainly won't be all bad for the juniors, some will get lucky enough to live in the Commons apartments, which are similar to living off campus but with some of the nicer features of the dorms. A lot of juniors will get stuck living in the residence halls, and they will be delaying their knowledge of how to live off campus, just so Otterbein can fill up all the dorms they built. t&c;PETER BEHR IS A SENIOR JOURNALISM MAJOR AND IS THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR FOR THE t&c.;
(05/28/09 4:00am)
It might surprise you that when you cross a crotchety, old man, an exuberant Wilderness Explorer and several thousand balloons, you get movie gold. But that's what Disney/Pixar's newest film "Up" is. Both humorous and touching, "Up" is the first Disney/Pixar movie to focus on regular humans. And it doesn't miss a beat. "Up" touches on some serious issues, and unlike "Wall-E," it's more of an emotional film rather than a social commentary. The film focuses on Carl Fredericksen, a cranky, old balloon salesman, and youthful, exuberant Wilderness Explorer Russell, who will stop at nothing to get his Explorer Badge for assisting the elderly. The movie opens with a young Carl watching a movie about legendary explorer Charles Muntz. Carl idolizes Muntz and longs to go on grand adventures. Carl's love of Muntz leads him to Ellie, a young girl with a similar love of Muntz. What follows is a wonderful piece of filmmaking. A beautiful montage shows Carl and Ellie falling in love, getting married and growing old together. It is both touching and heartbreaking, filled with the ups and downs of life. The montage is subtle and moving. It ends with Ellie getting sick and passing away. Trying to come to grips with a new life without his beloved wife, Carl ties thousands of balloons to his roof and takes off for Paradise Falls in South America. Carl quickly learns that Russell has stowed away on his porch, and he has no choice but to let Russell accompany him on the journey. At first, Russell and Carl can't seem to get along, but it doesn't take long for this odd couple to become great friends. Carl and Russell meet exotic animals, including a talking dog named Dug, who is the funniest character in the film. While the movie is very funny, it is also a very moving experience, exploring many different and serious human emotions. Carl doesn't know how to live his life without his wife and becomes almost a complete recluse. Russell is an avid member of the Wilderness Explorers, a group like the Boy Scouts, who has never actually been camping because his father isn't around very often. While the movie is a beautiful piece of animation, it is actually the relationships that capture you the most. The movie is available to see in Disney 3-D. There are advantages to seeing the movie in either format. When you see it in 3-D, you get a sense of depth that is pretty neat, however the movie is actually a bit brighter and more colorful when you aren't watching in 3-D. "Up" has humor, drama, excitement and wonder. The movie is animated beautifully, and the voice acting is all spot on. It is what everyone has come to expect from a Disney/Pixar movie. t&c;
(05/14/09 4:00am)
Summertime is upon us, which means it's time for over-produced movies with hundred-million-dollar budgets and tons of special effects. This summer is again dominated by sequels, with only a few original works coming out. Here is your guide for which movies are a must-see in theaters, and which you can wait to watch on an airplane."X-Men Origins: Wolverine"-In Theaters Hugh Jackman reprises the role of mutant Wolverine in the summer's first blockbuster. With a budget of around $140 million, it is ironic that the biggest downfall is its seeming lack of any production value. The special effects in the movie are cheesy with the biggest offender being Wolverine's claws, an important part of the character. His claws look fake throughout the entire movie. It's tough to get into the movie when the main character's weapons are a supreme let down. The movie also suffers from one of the main problems that plagued "X-Men: The Last Stand," too many mutants for too little time. Instead of concentrating on a core group of mutants, the movie haphazardly throws as many on screen as possible, and none of them get enough screen time. These criticisms aside, the movie doesn't skimp on action or explosions, and Liev Schreiber's take on Sabretooth is fantastic. He does an excellent job of being both animalistic and human. Taylor Kitsch's portrayal of Gambit is also well done and deserved more screen time than he got."Star Trek"-In Theaters The first must-see movie of the summer comes in the form of the series restart of "Star Trek." Reintroducing all the original crew of the Enterprise, this film uses the concept of time travel to wipe the series' slate clean, conveniently allowing the new Spock and Captain Kirk to continue their adventures without worrying about stepping on the toes of the older movies. As for this movie, "Star Trek" is tons of fun from start to finish. It manages to throw enough nerd factor in to satisfy hard core Trek fans while also keeping it simple enough to not throw off any casual moviegoers. With plenty of action, the movie rarely lets off and seems to fly by. It can get a little confusing during some parts of the time traveling, but for the most part it's all about flying around in space and shooting things. Director J.J. Abrams does a great job keeping the film going, and the special effects are top notch. Great action, good acting and enough laughs make this movie worth seeing in theaters, maybe even more than once."Angels and Demons"-May 15 The next movie starring Tom Hanks as mystery-solving professor Robert Langdon is actually a prequel to "The Da Vinci Code." In "Angels and Demons," Langdon races against time to stop an ancient secret organization called the Illuminati from destroying the Catholic Church. Langdon rushes through Rome, going from ancient tombs to centuries-old churches in order to solve this latest mystery. Hanks' portrayal of Langdon in "The Da Vinci Code" seemed completely phoned in, and hopefully he will change his attitude a bit and put a little more acting flair into "Angels and Demons." It is doubtful that this movie will cause as much of an uproar as "The Da Vinci Code." Which is really too bad because I enjoyed wading through the religious zealots to purchase my ticket to watch a fictional story play out on the big screen. One thing that everyone can be thankful for is his horrendous haircut has been shaped into something a little less jarring to the eye. If you are into adventure movies or garner enjoyment at watching Tom Hanks do his best Indiana Jones impression, then this is the film for you."Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"-June 24 After a nice break from sequels, we jump back on board with "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." The sequel to the 2007 piece of eye candy that was "Transformers," "Revenge of the Fallen" picks up where the other movie left off. Shia LeBeouf returns as young Sam Witwicky, who, after helping defeat the evil Megatron, decides that he wants to go to college. So he inexplicably decides to leave his transforming car and smoking hot girlfriend, played by Megan Fox, behind and head off to get an education. Of course, that doesn't last long and soon more robots arrive on Earth to wage another epic battle. With more robots and more fighting, there is sure to be plenty of awesome action. Director Michael Bay promises that when they were writing the second movie, they went for broke. I really can't imagine that Michael Bay could put any more explosions into his movies, but it looks like he is going to try."Public Enemies"-July 1 Christian Bale's second big release of the summer, "Public Enemies" also has mega-star Johnny Depp. Depp plays unstoppable and charismatic bank robber John Dillinger who takes on the Feds, headed by Melvin Purvis, played by Bale. The American public has no sympathy for the banks that have plunged the country into depression, so they fall in love with Dillinger, who has an irrepressible personality and undeniable charm. The movie will be an excellent opportunity for Depp and Bale to show off their ample character acting abilities, and will certainly be a treat for moviegoers."Year One"-June 19 The first big comedy of the summer stars heavy-hitters Michael Cera and Jack Black as cavemen living in a primitive caveman village. When they are banished from the village they go on an epic journey throughout the ancient world. There is no denying that this film borrows heavily from "Mel Brook's History of the World: Part I," "National Lampoon's Stoned Age" and "Cavemen," but that shouldn't be viewed as a criticism. The best form of flattery is imitation, and it's hard to get any funnier than Mel Brooks. "Year One" looks to be a genuinely enjoyable comedy. If you are looking to save cash, you could probably skip this one in theaters and wait until the DVD. Comedies usually don't lose too much in the theater to DVD transition."Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"-July 15 One of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the summer is the sixth movie in the Harry Potter series. After originally being scheduled for release on November 21, 2008, Warner Brothers pushed the date back in order to have a stronger summer line up which caused the anticipation for the movie to grow. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" continues the series' delve into darker fare. In the sixth installment, romance among the students becomes a more integral part of the film. And as Voldemort continues his rise to power, Harry must face becoming a man with less guidance from Dumbledore. Mysteries will be revealed as one of the most popular film series draws nearer to its penultimate chapter. So now you know what movies will be stealing all your hard earned allowance money this summer, all that's left is to get to the theaters"Up"-May 29 Next on the non-stop blockbuster list is the latest Disney/Pixar collaboration, "Up." Pixar has an incredible track record with every film they make, excluding "Cars," becoming an instant classic. However, "Up" will be the first movie to have humans as the main characters. The story focuses on 78-year-old Carl, who finally fulfills his desire for adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his roof and takes off for South America. His fun is cut short when he realizes that an overly enthusiastic kid has stowed away on his porch. While it doesn't have the immediate appeal of "Wall-E," it is a Pixar movie, so it will most likely be worth seeing.Terminator: Salvation-May 21 It's hard not to get excited when talking about the next Terminator movie. Christian Bale is humanity's last hope as he fights self-aware machines in a dystopian future. Set in 2018, the film focuses on John Connor's continuous fight to defeat the evil computer network Skynet. Connor will face many different obstacles, including a new type of Terminator that is almost completely human. Updates to the Terminator series have been sporadic. The first movie was released in 1984 and now the fourth film is coming out 25 years later. The movie certainly has star power with Christian Bale, who is arguably the hottest actor in Hollywood. The success of this movie could also decide the fate of the Fox show "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." If the film is successful enough it might save the show. This is a movie that should be experienced on the big screen."Inglorious Basterds"-August 21 The final blockbuster of the summer is Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds," which focuses on a group of undercover Jewish soldiers that engage Nazi's in targeted acts of retribution. Led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine, played by Brad Pitt, and known as "The Basterds," the squad's duty is to spread terror and discord throughout the Third Reich by committing acts of unspeakable violence against the Nazis. Tarantino writes and directs which guarantees that there will be plenty of violence and swearing. This movie is not for children. "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian"-May 22 The next "Night at the Museum" film will most likely be the highest-grossing film this summer due to the fact that it is testing incredibly high with families. The movie returns Ben Stiller as museum guard Larry Daley who sneaks into the Smithsonian in order to rescue some pieces from his museum that were shipped there by mistake. Of course, once he gets there everything in the Smithsonian starts to come to life. Look for the movie to have more over-the-top antics, including Stiller being slapped in the face by two mischievous monkeys instead of one. "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" will most likely be a tolerable movie; it probably won't have much appeal for adults. t&c;
(05/07/09 4:00am)
Mickey Mouse has traded in his yellow buttons in favor of green, environmentally-friendly ones. With the release of the movie "Earth," Disney celebrated this year's Earth Day in true conservational style. Promising to plant a tree for every ticket sold in the first week of release, Disney planted about 2.7 million trees. And they put out a pretty good movie as well. "Earth" is a pretty simple concept for a documentary. Take film footage of incredibly cute and amazing animals, have James Earl Jones do some narration and put it on the big screen. What follows is an enjoyable romp through the animal kingdom. The film is fairly unfocused; however, three animal families are referred to throughout the film: a polar bear, her cubs and their father, a whale and her baby and a pack of elephants. Peppered in between these three main stories are short segments involving animals from all over the world. Starting at the North Pole, the film slowly travels south on the globe, showing animals from every part of the world and eventually ending in Antarctica. The film is narrated by James Earl Jones, who has a distinctive deep voice. From talking about baby ducklings taking their first flight to describing a chase between a cheetah and a gazelle, Jones is the perfect man for the role. While it is Jones' narration that ties the movie together and keeps it moving, the real stars are the animals and the cameramen. The camera shots in the film are breathtaking. It is incredible how the filmmakers manage to film without making their presence felt. Using camouflage and other techniques along with super high-tech camera lenses, the cinematography makes this movie worth the admission price. Some of the standout moments in the film include a breathtaking overhead view of the elephant herd trekking through the desolate African desert searching for water. You feel badly for the young elephants as they stumble along blinded by sand and literally dying of thirst. The colorful birds of paradise living in the rain forests are another highlight of the film. They show off their amazing plumage and their intricate mating dances. It is easy to recommend "Earth," from stunning pictures to cute animals; it has everything that you would expect from a nature movie, and more. t&c;
(04/09/09 4:00am)
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(04/08/09 4:00am)
A new entry into the burgeoning sub-genre mall cop comedies is "Observe and Report," one of Seth Rogen's 378 movies coming out this month. Unlike this year's earlier movie that centered on the protectors of America's retail super-centers "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," "Observe and Report" is much more adult fare. This comedy is rated R and for good reason. There isn't a segment that goes by without cursing or some form of extreme violence or drug use. The movie follows the exploits of bipolar Head of Mall Security Ronnie Barnhardt, played by Rogen, as his life begins to spin out of control. Ronnie's troubles start when a flasher starts to terrorize the female customers of the mall. Ronnie takes these attacks personally when Brandi, played by Anna Faris, "the most beautiful girl in the world," is a target of the pervert. Ronnie decides that the local officer put in charge of the case, played by Ray Liotta, isn't doing enough to stop the attacks so he decides to take the case into his own hands. With his crack team of mall security, including his hilarious right-hand man, Dennis, played by Michael Pena, he begins to track down the pervert. While investigating the pervert, a mall robbery occurs. Ronnie tries to take the lead on the investigation, but only succeeds in causing more problems for the cops. Ronnie doesn't realize this and decides that it is his destiny to become a cop. Thinking that his life is finally coming together, Ronnie stops taking his bipolar medication. Soon after, Ronnie's entire life falls down around his ears. At this point, the movie goes off the deep end. Ronnie and Dennis begin drinking and using drugs on the job, which leads to him severely beating some skate boarders, tazing a customer and even defacing the mall wall. The movie definitely delivers quality laughs but it feels rushed and broken up. Some scenes feel like they end too abruptly and this affects the flow of the film. The story lines are jumbled throughout the movie, never truly focusing on anything apart from Ronnie. The other characters interact with Ronnie but none of them try to outshine Rogen, although Pena does manage to steal a few scenes. This is Rogen's movie and everyone knows it. Not that this is a bad thing, as his character is what really carries the film. Writer and director Jody Hill specializes in creating characters that are completely clueless and self-involved, as he does here with Ronnie. Danny McBride also makes a hilarious cameo in the film as a drug dealer who uses his son to sell crack, but treats him like an honor student. This movie is not for the squeamish. There is plenty of violence and a few scenes throughout the movie with graphic male nudity. While "Observe and Report" isn't for everyone, if you enjoy copious amounts of swearing, some serious violence and over the top mall cop action, then you would be remiss not to observe what this movie has to offer. t&c;
(04/06/09 4:00am)
What do Jimmy Kimmel, Matt Damon and Fred Flinstone have in common? They are each one half of three of the greatest bromances of all time. A bromance is a relatively new word that describes a heterosexual relationship between two close guy friends, and it is the subject of the new Paul Rudd film "I Love You, Man." Rudd plays the friendless Peter Klaven, a guy that has focused on the girlfriends in his life and doesn't really know how to relate to other males. When he finally meets the girl that he is going to marry, it strikes him that he has absolutely no one for his wedding party. This sends Peter on an odyssey to meet his first real best friend. The film asks the question how do guys meet guy friends? How do you get a guy to go out on a man-date? Peter is completely clueless. He doesn't know much about sports or how to do the typical male bonding rituals. In one memorable scene in the movie, Peter attempts to play poker with some potential male friends, but has no idea how to handle the extreme testosterone of the guys or the beer. Enter Sydney Fife, played to perfection by the talented Jason Segal, a likable loafer who takes an immediate liking to Peter. A couple of hang-out sessions and many Rush songs later, Peter and Sydney are bona fide best friends. Unfortunately, Peter's new relationship is taking a serious toll on his current relationships, his work and his future plans. As everything in Peter's life falls apart he begins to put it back together, but not in the way you would expect. The reason this movie works is the interplay between Rudd and Segal. Rudd's character has absolutely no idea how he should to act around other guys, so he constantly tries to make up words to sound cool. This creates some incredibly awkward moments, but they were some of the funniest moments of the film. After the first time he hangs out with Sydney, he tries to give him a nickname and all he can come up with is ‘Jobin.' He then spends a few hilarious minutes trying to explain the name. While Rudd and Segal are the heart of a good movie, it is the perfect supporting cast that makes this movie hilarious. Every bit part of the film is perfectly played, from Barry the overly manly man played by Jon Favreau, to Joe Lo Truglio who plays a candidate for friendship. Even Lou Ferrigno makes an appearance as himself, giving Segal a chance to do his best Incredible Hulk impression. While it doesn't have a lot of the over-the-top laughs like other Paul Rudd comedies, "I Love You, Man" is incredibly well done and sure to keep your attention from the beginning to the end. The running jokes and hilarious awkward moments make this movie an easy one to love. t&c;
(04/02/09 4:00am)
What do Jimmy Kimmel, Matt Damon and Fred Flinstone have in common? They are each one half of three of the greatest bromances of all time. A bromance is a relatively new word that describes a heterosexual relationship between two close guy friends, and it is the subject of the new Paul Rudd film "I Love You, Man." Rudd plays the friendless Peter Klaven, a guy that has focused on the girlfriends in his life and doesn't really know how to relate to other males. When he finally meets the girl that he is going to marry, it strikes him that he has absolutely no one for his wedding party. This sends Peter on an odyssey to meet his first real best friend. The film asks the question how do guys meet guy friends? How do you get a guy to go out on a man-date? Peter is completely clueless. He doesn't know much about sports or how to do the typical male bonding rituals. In one memorable scene in the movie, Peter attempts to play poker with some potential male friends, but has no idea how to handle the extreme testosterone of the guys or the beer. Enter Sydney Fife, played to perfection by the talented Jason Segal, a likable loafer who takes an immediate liking to Peter. A couple of hang-out sessions and many Rush songs later, Peter and Sydney are bona fide best friends. Unfortunately, Peter's new relationship is taking a serious toll on his current relationships, his work and his future plans. As everything in Peter's life falls apart he begins to put it back together, but not in the way you would expect. The reason this movie works is the interplay between Rudd and Segal. Rudd's character has absolutely no idea how he should to act around other guys, so he constantly tries to make up words to sound cool. This creates some incredibly awkward moments, but they were some of the funniest moments of the film. After the first time he hangs out with Sydney, he tries to give him a nickname and all he can come up with is 'Jobin.' He then spends a few hilarious minutes trying to explain the name. While Rudd and Segal are the heart of a good movie, it is the perfect supporting cast that makes this movie hilarious. Every bit part of the film is perfectly played, from Barry the overly manly man played by Jon Favreau, to Joe Lo Truglio who plays a candidate for friendship. Even Lou Ferrigno makes an appearance as himself, giving Segal a chance to do his best Incredible Hulk impression. While it doesn't have a lot of the over-the-top laughs like other Paul Rudd comedies, "I Love You, Man" is incredibly well done and sure to keep your attention from the beginning to the end. The running jokes and hilarious awkward moments make this movie an easy one to love. t&c;
(05/21/08 4:00am)
It has been 19 years since Harrison Ford last picked up a whip to play the legendary part-time archeology professor and adventurer, Indiana Jones, but Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have teamed up with the 65-year-old to revive the character for a new adventure. In "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," famed archeologist Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. (Ford) gets sucked into another adventure that takes him to exotic locales searching for a crystal skull. Without giving away too much plot, Indy is blackmailed by soviets to help find a powerful artifact. Along the way he survives the most outrageous moments ever scripted in an Indiana Jones film. Even though Ford is older, it seems that Spielberg and Lucas want the audience to know that he is still all man. Throughout the film Jones seems completely indestructible. While the Indiana Jones films have always had a bit of the super-natural in them, Indy himself has never been superhuman, so this ends up subtracting a bit from his character. Unlike the original three movies, this film seems to have been taken completely from the mind of Lucas; a little more science fiction rather than the traditional mysterious and historically-powered artifacts that show up in the previous films. In Indy's newest romp through ancient burial grounds and lost cities, it seems that there is never more than five minutes between fight scenes.There are so many over-the-top scenes in the movie that it almost begins to take on the role of a Looney Toons episode, with big bangs and booms but no real emotional payoff. Not to say the action isn't a good thing, because the movie is a blast as long as you aren't planning to invest in the characters. Harrison Ford is still a legitimate action star and this film gives him the chance to do what he does best, which is get into trouble, get out of trouble and deliver some snappy one-liners. Ford is joined on-screen by Shia LaBeouf, who seems to be establishing himself as a bona fide movie star. Unfortunately, his character, Mutt, is not one that LaBeouf seems capable of playing. Mutt is supposed to be a tough as nails, quick with a knife, motorcycle riding greaser. Unfortunately, LaBeouf is best suited to playing somewhat quirky, neurotic characters, so something gets lost in translation. Along with Ford and LaBeouf, the film has a few other heavy hitters, including Oscar-Nominee Cate Blanchett as Irina Spalko, a Soviet soldier who has ties to the supernatural herself but is in the end a completely forgettable villain. Much better is Ray Winstone who plays Mac, a friend, but sometimes enemy, of Indy. Winstone is funny and pitch-perfect for his time on-screen, but he isn't there nearly long enough. Karen Allen reprised her role as Marion Ravenwood from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," but she might as well have stayed in retirement since her character is just an extra body on screen. Harrison Ford can still turn in a good leading-man performance and the rest of the cast does well enough not to bring the movie down, and with Spielberg in the director's chair a film always has a chance. While "Indiana Jones" may not be a momentous life-changing affair, it is a well-worked over-the-top summer blockbuster that is sure to please. StarringHarrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray WinstoneRatedPG-13Directed by:Steven SpielbergPeter's rating3 stars out of 4Roger Ebert's rating3 1/2 stars out of 4rottentomatoes78 percent fresht&c;
(03/13/08 4:00am)
Last Saturday was a big day for most people on Otterbein's Campus. Ask anyone what they did and it will certainly involve digging cars out of snow, deciding it wasn't worth it to trek to work or just hanging around and enjoying the lazy snow day. For me, it was a little different. Last Saturday was possibly the biggest day for video game buffs in a long time. Saturday marked the release of the "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" on the Nintendo Wii. For those uneducated in the ways of "Smash," I will give you a quick run down. The point of the game is to play as famous characters from past Nintendo video games and beat up other Nintendo characters. "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" is a sequel to the 2001 game "Super Smash Bros," which I have been playing since the day it came out. It has been a lifestyle for me. The release of the new game has had me on pins and needles since it was announced almost two years ago. Originally scheduled to be released in December, the game was delayed until February, and then again until March 9. Needless to say, I was frustrated waiting for its arrival. Allow me to share with you the events that unfolded the day before the release of "Super Smash Bros. Brawl." 3:30 a.m.: I woke up after a four-hour nap. I had been attempting to alter my sleep schedule so that when I got the game at midnight, I could stay up as late as possible playing without getting tired. 3:45 a.m.: I got a bowl of cereal and starting thinking about how to kill the 20-plus hours in my way. Perhaps I should go to the library and rent some movies? It was at this point that I glanced outside and my whole outlook on the day changed.I was incredibly nervous about the amount of snow that had piled up and was still coming down. This was something that could easily and drastically alter my meticulous plans for the day. 4:00 a.m.: Being the only one awake in my house, I decide to kill some time by watching a few films I had been itching to see: "Unforgiven" starring Clint Eastwood, Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" and "American Psycho." 9:00 a.m.: I start waking people up throughout my house, including my good friend and his fiancée who were snowed in. We killed some more time by watching soccer. 12:00 p.m.: At noon my roommate Dave decided to phone GameStop. He wanted to make sure that they were still hosting a tournament and releasing the game at midnight. They were not. The snow was ruining everything.It was going to cancel the little party I had been planning with my friends where we planned to stay up all night playing the game. 5:00 p.m.: I was incredibly tired at this point from helping dig my roommate's car out of the snow and playing in the park. I decided to take a nap. 10:00 p.m.: I had slept a measley five hours when Dave burst into my room and told me that Meijer was going to be open at midnight and was going to have the game. The only catch was we had to walk there.Most people would take a few seconds to think about this, by weighing the pros and cons. For me there was never any choice. I immediately started dressing in as many layers as I could possibly fit on my body. 10:30 p.m.: Three of us (Dave, fellow "Smash fan" Lucas Elder, and I) set off through the snow for Meijer. 11:10 p.m.: The sidewalk was completely covered in snow so we decided to walk on State Street. Apparently this is illegal. A cop stopped and asked us to kindly get the heck off the road. Luckily for us this was a stone's throw away from Meijer. 11:15 p.m.: When we made it to Meijer, we were greeted by an employee who rather gruffly asked if we were here for "Smash Mouth."After kindly correcting her, she continued on to ask everyone else who showed up (about seven more people) if they were also here for "Smash Mouth."12:01 a.m.: Finally! I had it in my hands. I was so excited I simply couldn't contain myself; I actually got a head rush.12:10 a.m.: After being picked up by our other roommate Brett Hiltbrand, we all arrived back to Knox Street and sprinted inside. We booted up the Wii and proceeded to gorge ourselves on the "Smash" goodness. 5:45 a.m.: We finally decide to call it a day. After all, I needed to be able to wake up the next day and play it again. While the day didn't go as planned, I wouldn't have had it any other way. I spent time with my friends making memories that will last us a lifetime. That's what "Super Smash Bros." is all about. t&c;
(03/06/08 5:00am)
"Semi-Pro" is probably one of the more apt film titles this year. Everything about the film is done semi-well. It's not surprising to see star Will Ferrell return to the role that serves him best: a cocksure guy in a position of minor power who tends to not realize how unimportant he really is. Enter Jackie Moon, a one-hit wonder in the disco scene, who used the money he made from his hit song "Love Me Sexy" to buy the Flint Tropics. The Tropics are a Michigan basketball team in the short-lived American Basketball Association (ABA).Jackie Moon is the owner, coach and star player on the Tropics, who are simply awful. He sports a 'fro (which Ferrell specifically grew for the movie) and hops around in ridiculously short shorts on the court, while wearing the tackiest outfits off court.When he finds out that the ABA is going to fold and the Flint Tropics are not going to be absorbed into the NBA, Jackie decides that it's time to actually start playing basketball. He tries his hardest to get his team into fourth place, since fourth place brings the possibility of getting into the NBA.In an effort to get a team that could actually compete, Moon trades away the team's washing machine to acquire a washed-up former NBA player with a bum knee. This star is Monix, played by Woody Harrelson ("White Men Can't Jump"). Harrelson's purpose in the film is to add a little drama. The reason his character decides to play for the Tropics is to earn the attention of an old flame. Unfortunately, the romance adds nothing to the story and is, in fact, incredibly boring. The rest of the team is made up of a predictably ragtag group of players, including the foreigner Vikadis, who can't speak a word of English. Andre Benjamin ("Four Brothers") plays the one character that has legitimate growth throughout the film. As Coffee Black, he is the only player on the Tropics who has any shot of playing in the NBA, but he won't unless he can learn to be a little less selfish. Apart from the players on the team, the only other characters worth mentioning are the two announcers. They are the only people (apart from Ferrell) to deliver real laughs. The tandem of Andrew Daly ("Mad T.V.") and Will Arnett ("Arrested Development") is excellent. They have dynamic chemistry throughout the movie.The main issue with "Semi-Pro" is that it feels like a bunch of skits haphazardly thrown together. It seems like there was no concrete script, just a rough outline. The movie meanders lazily from one scene to the next without any direction. You simply do not care about any of the characters or what happens to them. While it is funny to watch Ferrell bumble around as the self-obsessed idiot that he plays so well, it does get old by the end of the movie. "Semi-Pro" delivers a few laughs here and there, but it won't be remembered as one of Ferrell's better efforts - just semi-good. t&c;
(02/20/08 5:00am)
To save everyone some time, I will teleport to the end of this article. "Jumper" is absolutely awful. From extreme plot holes to uninspired storytelling and acting, "Jumper" manages to teleport from one problem to the next. The story is set up simply enough; a young boy named David Rice is thrown into a life-threatening situation and finds out he has the ability to teleport. Fast forward a few years. Enter older David, played by the wooden "Star Wars" star Hayden Christensen. He is a successful young bank robber, living life in the fast lane and spending his entire day teleporting around the world.It is here that the story stops making any sense. David goes back to his hometown and picks up his middle school crush, played by Rachel Bilson of "The O.C." After talking to her for about 30 minutes, they jet off to Rome. While in Rome, he is attacked by two men and rescued by Griffin, played by Jamie Bell ("Billy Elliot").Griffin informs David that he is part of a vague "war" between Paladins and Jumpers.This war is apparently fueled by religion, but is never really explained. The offered explanation is that Paladins kill Jumpers, and have been doing so since the Middle Ages.Enter another "Star Wars" alum, Samuel L. Jackson, the main bad guy in the film, looking like he could break into a spirited rendition of "The Thong Song" at any moment.For reasons unknown, he really hates Jumpers. He wants them all dead. Pretty simple.Cue the awesome action fight scenes, right? Wrong. Almost every fight scene in the film is incredibly boring. Even Jumper versus Jumper is somehow not at all interesting.Throw all of that together, along with an incomprehensible cameo by Diane Lane, and you have the recipe for a terrible movie experience. As the movie goes on, the plot hole count rises. It seems that every single time a character teleports, it rips open another hole in the story.Also lacking in this film is a real, likeable character. The main character, David, is a total jerk and has little emotional growth throughout the entire film. At an early point in the movie, he catches sight of some people trapped in a flood and completely ignores them. At the end of the movie you still feel that he wouldn't help anyone out of a flood. He remains as much a jerk as he was at the start.Other than Bell, the acting in this film is terrible. Every line reads like nails on a chalkboard. The script is completely uninspiring.Director Doug Liman, whose resumé includes "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "The Bourne Identity," has achieved a definite low. Hopefully he can get back to the stuff that made the "Bourne" movies entertaining. That isn't to say that all of "Jumper" is bad--just most of it. There are a few things worth merit. The actual teleporting is cool, the locales are numerous and exotic and Bell turns in a decently humorous performance.Unfortunately, these few moments do not outweigh the bad.Throughout "Jumper," questions piled up in my head. How can something as cool as teleportation become so lame? Who are these Paladins? How is David, having never met another Jumper, suddenly a source of knowledge about jumping? Why do people keep putting Christensen in movies? What really hurts about "Jumper" is that an intriguing idea amounts to nothing more than a 90-minute-long trailer. Teleporting and fighting can be totally awesome--just check out the beginning of "X-Men 2."Unfortunately, "Jumper" doesn't deliver on any front. If you ever find yourself anywhere near this movie, teleport as far away as you can.
(01/31/08 5:00am)
In 1982, Sylvester Stallone introduced the character John J. Rambo in the film "First Blood." Within six years, two sequels were introduced: "Rambo: First Blood Part II" and "Rambo III." After those three films, John Rambo was put to bed for two decades. Now, in 2008, Sylvester Stallone has decided to bring John Rambo out of retirement for one more mission. In the film "Rambo," we find the eponymous hero living a solitary life as a snake catcher in Thailand when he is asked to take a group of missionaries into war-torn Burma. After some convincing, Rambo agrees to take the group upriver. Once in Burma, the group is quickly captured by the corrupt military and held hostage in a camp. Rambo then joins up with a group of mercenaries to rescue the missionaries and, of course, take out a few corrupt militants on the way. "Rambo" is, first and foremost, incredibly violent. It cannot be put into words how absolutely, intensely violent this film really is. Every bullet fired packs a visceral punch as it is shown ripping through the body of a soldier, innocent villager or mercenary. At almost every point in the movie, the violence shown is over the top.If you have a weak stomach when it comes to violence, avoid this movie at all costs. It isn't possible to count the number of deaths in the film; however, if I had to make a guess, I would estimate the number is around 100-150. The film itself is only 90 minutes long. That means the movie averages over one death a minute. Included in those deaths are at least five beheadings. Possibly more--I may have blinked at one point in the film. Included in all of the violence is perhaps one of the most disturbing massacres that I have ever seen on film. A small Burmese village is completely destroyed and just about every inhabitant is killed. Bullets fly from every angle, people are beaten with guns and there is an explosion about every five seconds. At one point I actually turned to a friend and asked, "Did they just throw that baby into a fire?" Yes. They did.Now comes the million-dollar question. Does all of this violence actually have a point to make? Not really. While real-life footage from Burma is shown during the opening credits of the movie, anyone hoping that this film may actually make a statement about what is happening in the far east will be sadly disappointed.In reality, this film doesn't have much to say at all. It almost sets itself up to have a commentary on the necessity of violence--whether killing is right or wrong in certain situations.But it falls woefully short of actually following through on these points.One certainly does have to marvel at the size of the muscles of the 62-year-old Rambo star. Stallone's biceps are about the size of his head. Unfortunately, the acting isn't in as good shape as Stallone. While Rambo is typically a silent character without much to say, the cast surrounding Stallone certainly had a lot to say, and none of it was good.Just about every actor in the film overacted their role. The worst offenders were the married missionaries Sarah and Michael, played by Julie Benz and Paul Schulze, respectively. Neither uttered a single believable line. While you may not learn anything about the situation in Burma, or see any Academy Award-winning performances, you will get an incredibly intense experience.If seeing John J. Rambo take on the bad guys one more time is all you want out of your moviegoing experience, then "Rambo" won't disappoint.If you are looking for something a little deeper in the way of a cinematic experience, though, look elsewhere.
(01/23/08 5:00am)
It's been two years since New York's Coheed & Cambria released a studio album. In 2005, the progressive rock group released "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV Volume 1: Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness." Now, they have finished what they began with their new release "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV Volume 2: No World For Tomorrow." In the interim between Volume One and Volume Two, Coheed and Cambria underwent a huge change. Both the drummer and the bassist left the band to pursue opportunities with other projects. The two core members of the quartet remained, and they didn't miss a single beat by releasing one of the band's best albums to date. For those not acquainted with the deep world of Coheed & Cambria, every album documents part of a tetralogy known as The Amory Wars. Also aiding in telling the story is a comic book written by Coheed frontman Claudio Sanchez. The band released their first studio album, called "The Second Stage Turbine Blade," the second part of the tetralogy. The Amory Wars is, at its core, a science fiction story. It follows the happenings in a universe known as heavens fence. Two of the characters are actually named Coheed and Cambria. However, they die around the end of the first album. The albums then shift over to the trials of Claudio or "The Crowing," a messianic character. While the story itself can be difficult to understand, it is not at all helpful that Sanchez can be very tight-lipped about details involving The Amory Wars. What is not difficult to understand is why Coheed & Cambria have developed such an incredibly devoted following. Strongly influenced by classic rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Thin Lizzy, Coheed & Cambria have grinding guitars and slippery time signatures in spades on their newest album. From start to finish, "No World For Tomorrow" exudes classic rock elements. Absent from this album are the ornate flourishes that appear in most prog rock, and that's a good thing. The album opens with "The Reaping," as is typical with most Coheed albums, this is a short introduction into the album. After "The Reaping" is the album's title track "No World For Tomorrow," and it is here that the band grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. Retaining the edge from the previous album, Sanchez belts out the lyrics over the raging guitars. The first single is "The Running Free." It has a bit of a pop feel, with power chords evident throughout. The best achievement on the album is easily the song "Gravemakers and Gunslingers," a fantastic romp through the best that classic rock has to offer. Putting an end to The Amory Wars is the five-part finale called "The End Complete," which does a good job of finishing both the album and the series. Not everything is perfect. While the album has no true weak points musically, the packaging can be a bit of a put-off. It is a simple cardboard sleeve with the disc slipped inside. There is no booklet in sight. While this may seem trivial, it is disappointing to see a band that always puts so much into presentation put out their last album in a simple cardboard sleeve. A deluxe edition is available for fans to purchase that includes a bonus disc filled with demos and other features. It is recommended only for those who cannot get by with just the studio album. Those looking for more of what they love from Coheed & Cambria will not be disappointed with "No World for Tomorrow." This release has everything that fans of the band look for. It includes strong, guitar-driven riffs, choruses that beg to be played as loud as possible and sharp lyrical writing that's hard to find today. Whether you are Coheed & Cambria's biggest fan, or you simply want to listen to a great rock album, you would be an absolute fool not to give this disc a spin.