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Friday, January 21; 2000
Malcolm mirrors Simpsons, succeeds
By Chris Borniger
Kansan associate features editor
It's irreverent. It's colorful. But more than anything, Malcolm in the Middle is absolutely hilarious.
"The Simpsons" has reached nearlegendary status in television history. It was a ground breaker for animation. Walt Disney was a pioneer in the field, but Matt Groening gave it appeal to both children and adults. And he cleverly created dynamic characters that could absorb and react to a rapidly evolving society without changing too much themselves. The dialogue is fast
It's Fox's new follow-up to The Simpsons, which just celebrated its 10th year on the air. And although many a sitcom have tried to mimic the antics of Bart, Homer and company, Malcolm looks to become the animated family's heir to the family comedy throne.
**Starring:** Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek and Bryan Cranston
**Time:** Sundays 7:30 p.m. on Fox
paced and intelligent with a subtle social consciousness.
Fox has hyped *Malcolm* as a live-action version of the Simpson family.
In its first three episodes, that characterization fits perfectly. Unlike the Simpsons, however, Malcolm centers around a single character and his reactions to a really weird family and an even weirder society.
Take it from this reviewer. This is the life of a middle child as it truly is.
What makes Malcolm great is that it's a fascinatingly real look at the middle-class American family. Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) is the third of four children to a borderline neurotic mother (Lois, played by Jane Kaczmarek) and a goofball father (Hal, played by Bryan Cranston). Rounding out this quirky family are Malcolm's three siblings. The oldest, Francis, gets shipped off to military school for testing his parents' patience one too many times. Another sibling, Reese, communicates more with his fists than with words. And the youngest, Dewey, has a problem with gas and takes the adjective "irksome" to a new level.
Still in its infancy, Malcolm shows a
batch of shows depict Malcolm as an average kid
who strives to maintain normalcy. All this changes when an IQ test reveals he's a genius. He faces rejection from his friends with par-level IQs and has to choose his friends among a group of social misfits — nerds to the bone.
Yet it's Malcolm's relationship with his family that delivers the show's greatest moments, both comedic and touching. As offensive as his brothers are, they're also his closest friends. When Malcolm, Reese and Dewey are accused of destroying mom's dress, they stick together to absorb motherly rage. The relationship among the six family members borders on dysfunctional, but even the petty hazing and occasional cruelty is ramified by the obvious, unconditionally loving bond they share.
Fox has found a formula for success that definitely computes. It transcends boundaries between animation and live-action. It has widespread appeal, and it makes for wonderful television.
Fiennes a bright spot in gloomy Affair
Bv Todd Halstead
Kansan movie critic
After watching The End of the Affair, Neil Jordan's adaptation of Graham Green's 1951 semi-autobiographical novel, the first thing I wanted to do was go home and down a Prozac and Zoloft cocktail. I don't know if this was a result of the depression I felt after an incredibly somber and melodramatic movie or for the two hours of my life that I lost.
The movie begins on a rainy night in London in 1946 when Maurice Bendrix (Ralph Flennes) encounters Henry Miles (Stephen Rea). Ironically, Miles invites Bendrix, who had an affair with Miles' wife a few years earlier, to his home, where he confides in Bendrix his suspicion that his
End of the Affair
Now playing at Plaza 6, 2339 Iowa St.
wife, Sarah (Julianne Moore), is cheating on him. Bendrix, who is still emotionally scarred by Sarah's abrupt end of their affair, hires a private investigator to shadow her for Miles. His real motivation, however, is to find out about Sarah for himself.
Writing: C
Acting: A:
Cinematography: A
Sound: B
Overall: B
The crux of the film surrounds the power of religion and Sarah's pact with God that she made after Bendrix was nearly killed by a German bomb that hit his home —
The film is filled with a ubiquitous rainfall that reflects the emotions of the characters. The three characters never confront one another but interact through reserved conversations with melodrama that could be found in any number of movies from the1940s.
the most beautifully filmed scene of the movie. Through this and other seamless flashbacks the viewer is able to piece together the movie and find out the motivations behind Sarah's actions.
Moore and Rea turn in good performance, if pedestrian, but Fiennes is excellent as the dour yet passionate Bendrix. But it's not as if he hasn't had practice — with similar roles in The English Patient, Oscar and Lucinda and Onegin, it appears that Fiennes has a monopoly on the intellectual-man-in-doomed-romance role.
Various artists: The Hurricane; Soundtrack
However, the eclectic compilation, ranging from folk music to rap and soul, a la Ray Charles and others, fails to deliver a knockout punch.
Buy it used
The soundtrack opens with a weak performance by The Roots, Mos Def and Common on the song "Hurricane." With talent like that on one track, one might expect a more memorable performance. But their attempt at hopping on the Carter bandwagon falls flat and compares nothing to Bob Dylan's track of the same title.
The soundtrack to the The Hurricane is as liberal in its selection of performers as the Canadians who help free Rubin "Hurricane" Carter from the unjust clutches of "The Man."
Dylan's "Hurricane" is the jewel of the soundtrack and was instrumental in bringing attention to Carter's plight when it was released in 1975. Its chorus is catchy and is the most memorable aspect of the album. Gil Scott-Heron's poetic political masterpiece, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" delivers the same punch as it must have back in 1971 and rivals Dylan.
Beyond Dylan and Scott-Heron's contributions, however, much of the soundtrack is like being in the eye of a hurricane—dead calm.
The Jazzyfatnastes deliver an enjoyable, sensual cover of Ruth Brown's "I Don't Know." But when compared to Brown's rendition, which appears later, the Jazzyfatnastes lose.
If I were Carter, I would not want this to be the soundtrack to my life — unless I had a program option on my CD player.
The soundtrack does have a strong finish with classics performed by Ray Charles and Etta James. James, in fact, provides the sleeper track that will catch listeners with their guards down. Her vocals and lyrics capture the time period of the mid-to-late 1960s with vigor.
Todd Halstead
Podstar Podstar Buy it used
In stark contrast to the exploring astronaut on the cover of Podstar's self-titled debut album, the four-piece rock band fails to break any new ground in music. In defense of the band members though, they are still in high school.
Produced by Ed Rose (Ultimate Fakebook, The Creature Comforts and Ruskabank) at Lawrence-based Noiseless Records, Podstar shows promise with intense tracks such as "Not Tonight" and "Something Else Entirely." The slower songs such as "Then We'll See" are not as good because the lead singer's voice is unable to pull off such endeavors. "Too Damm Loud," however, has sing-along lyrics such as "You know that I tore your cashmere sweater/ And nothing I can say will ever make it feel better." It's not great poetry, but Podstar is no different than anything else you will find on the radio.
Sarah Cracknell Lipslide
— Todd Halstead
Buy it used
Sweet techno-pop fills the 12 tracks on Lipslide, the new album from Sarah Cracknell. Imagine an old album Aguilera or Britney Spears, mix in some talent and the ability to compose original tunes, and you've got Sarah Cracknell. Although not the best pop out there, the blend of electronic effects and instruments makes for an interesting listen. Highlights include "Anymore," an independent woman anthem that could have been penned by Alanis Morrisette. Cracknell does mix in some piano with the electronica, but Tori Amos she's not. She shows a good sense of arrangement, though. The groovy "Aussie Soap Girl" is almost worthy of Isaac Hayes — almost. Although the light pop sound isn't for everyone, those disillusioned with the current state of pop music should check Lipslide out.
— Justin Parlette
Jessica Andrews Heart-Shaped World Result
A supposed country gift from the heavens, Jessica Andrews offers up her major record label debut, and it really is not bad. Given the popularity of female country stars like the Dixie Chicks and Shania Twain, Andrews' release sounds like it could hold its own in the country charts. Let's just hope she doesn't try to cross over into the mainstream. This is country music that sounds good, and it should stay that way. Produced by Byron Gallimore, noted for his work with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, "Heart-Shaped World" is light-hearted country with an edge that leaves the listener moved by her openness. Highlights include "The Riverside" and "James Dean In Tennessee." A fresh incorporation of the new country sound with respects paid to old country makes this a debut album worth owning.
Justin Parlette