What should filmgoers make of this recent trend of movies based on videogames? The back story for most games is just a hasty excuse for running around and shooting things. That might not be a problem when you're actually running and shooting (or at least pushing the buttons), but when you're just watching the action, a little more substance is necessary.
If you're sick of the monotony of modern radio, junior Bryan Randolph thinks he has a solution: podcasting, a fast-rising medium that exposes consumers to a wide array of new artists without the hassle of station surfing or file sharing. This new technology automatically delivers songs or talk radio files to users through a subscription service and a downloadable program called iPodder.
GW Inaugural Ball I hope I don't disappoint my loyal readers by admitting that, yes, I attended the GW Inaugural Ball. I even have my tile/coaster party favor to prove it. Politics aside, I decided why not take up my parents' offer to have them buy my ticket and get drunk.
The recent influx of generic pop/rock bands has flooded the radio, record stores and clubs. But rarely do these bands deserve the recognition they receive. The Chicago-based band The Academy Is... is a wonderful exception. Set for release Feb. 8, their debut album Almost Here (Fueled by Ramen Records) demands your attention from the first instant, bringing together the band's love of pop and rock in unique compositions with catchy, yet poignant lyrics.
It is no surprise that Christophe Barratier's film "Les Choristes" or "The Chorus" (Galatée Films) was France's collective nominee for the foreign film category at the Academy Awards. It is one of the more palatable and "feel good" movies I have seen for quite some time.
These days it seems like many musicals are compiled, rather than composed. A fashionable alternative to writing from scratch is to find an existing collection of songs and create a plot that encompasses all of the lyrics. Is this post-modernity at its finest, or mere laziness? Previously applied to George and Ira Gershwin for the 1992 musical Crazy For You, this formula was more recently applied to ABBA, Billy Joel and The Beach Boys for Mamma Mia, Movin' Out and Good Vibrations, respectively.
In 2002, Taking Back Sunday, a little-known band from Long Island, broke into the music scene with their first album Tell All Your Friends (Victory Records). Since the album's release, the band coursed its way along the Billboard Music chart, claiming a spot every week for two years straight.
Music Reviews
Artist: U2 Album: How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb Label: Interscope Records U2's Atomic Bomb is a safe and predictable album that may frustrate the avid listener. This 11-track album is an uneven blend of subdued Euro-techno tempos and signature guitar reverberations, seemingly borrowed and reworked from previous studio sessions.
"Fascination"
I'm sure by now most every college student in America has seen Mystery Science Theater 3000. You know, that show where the janitor and two robots are forced to watch the worst movies ever made from an orbiting satellite. If you haven't seen it yet, I suggest holding off a little longer.
William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice"
Despite the glut of Shakespearean films in the '90s, there has not been a true film adaptation of "The Merchant of Venice" since the silent film era. The play remains controversial, especially due to its anti-Semitic theme. And although screenwriter-director Michael Radford attempts to deal with this issue, in doing so, he creates a tragedy-comedy hybrid that never completely gels.
Black Milk: Surprisingly Tasty
Bad Russian techno music issues forth from a cheap radio. Weak sunlight straggles through the thick smears of dust on the cracked glass of the doorway. The floor of this abandoned train station is filthy, littered with crumpled newspapers and other, unidentifiable debris.
Vol. 106
An Independent Student Newspaper
Serving The George Washington University Community Since 1904
