Section A·Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, February 10, 1999
Entertainment
Oscars
Shakespeare comedy leads in nominations
Continued from page 1A
saw three of the movies nominated for best picture and said he thought Saving Private Ryan should win.
"The movie did away with the theme of glory in war you see in old, bad World War II John Wayne films," he said.
Kylie Grater, Riley sophomore, said that she usually only watched independent films and that the best movie she had seen in the past year was Life is Beautiful.
"It's really humorous but at the same time a tragic story of love and the Holocaust," she said.
Green said he thought the films nominated were not necessarily the best films but rather the most popular.
betts said that being nominated for the Oscars could bring money and help rejuvenate the box office life of films that were fading in popularity. However, he said, Oscar nominations are not the end-all, be-all of movie making.
"My take is that every nomination is just a second guess depending on the digestion habits of the voters," Tibbett said. "Their votes can change depending on their mood or what they ate that day."
The department of theater and film will sponsor a party at 7 p.m. on Oscar day, March 21, at the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St.
Guests will fill out ballots in an attempt to predict category winners.
The contestant whose predictions are closest to the actual outcomes will win two airline tickets to Los Angeles, said Mike Boring, secret.
tary of reception for the KU film department at Old-father Studios. "It's kind of a schmooze fest," Tibbets said
Life is Beautiful could be an Oscar contender. Contributed photo
The academy picks World War II movies
By Brendan Walsh Kansan movie critic
On March 21, cynical movie buffs and celebrity worshipers once again will get their fix watching the Oscars. It's a safe bet that an actor will speak of the injustice in a Third World nation, and a large technical crew will deliver an acceptance speech that's far too long.
As for this year's nominees, it seems as if the academy has a fixation on World War II and the Elizabethans. The nominees for Best Picture are arguably all great movies, but a little diversity would be nice.
The Thin Red Line is a surprise nomination for Best Picture considering the pounding that critics gave it, but the rest are safe choices.
As for Best Actor, does Tom Hanks really need another Oscar to stroke as he goes to sleep? Come on, this guy was in Bosom Buddies. Edward Norton is a wonderful actor and deserved Oscars for his performances in The People Vs. Larry Flynt and Primal Fear, so hopefully, he'll get his due this year for American History X.
In the prettiest woman category, otherwise known as Best
Commentary
Actress, Gwyneth Paltrow should win for Shakespeare in Love. Not only did she have to play a boy, but she also took off her blouse. Cate Blanchett is too new; Meryl Streep is too old; Fernanda Montenegro has too alluring a name to be taken seriously; and Emily Watson had the misfortune of being cast in a movie that most people thought was about the United States' first ladies.
Ed Harris' nomination for Best Supporting Actor seems like a big award for his 10 minutes of screen time in *The Truman Show*. Billy Bob Thornton deserves the trophy for his dimitted character in *A Simple Plan*. Admittedly, he played the same role in *Sling Blade*, but if three movies about World War II can be nominated for Best Picture, it seems as if the academy can embrace repetition in other categories.
The most horrific error in this year's Oscars was that Lisa Kudrow wasn't nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Opposite of Sex. All snickers and Friends jokes aside, she did a superb job.
Joydrop lead singer lacks vocal intenseness
By Matt Cox
Kansan music boy
First album, methodology
The album combines samples, effects and hip-hop
Joydrop awakens contrasting emotions with its first album, *Metasexual*.
beats to satisfy a range of listeners. This chemistry works instrumentally but is lacking in the rest of the album.
Commentary
enjoyable, but Sone's attempts at voice intenseness just don't cut it.
The problem with the album is the ineffectual voice of Tara Slone, the lead singer. Her voice doesn't suit the harder songs. In comparison, her voice is as<sup>15</sup>
"Beautiful," a satiate of attractive people, infects the mind with the sweet melody. The verses are laid back and Slone's voice blends well with the melody.
JOYDROP Metasexual Rating : B
pressing the accelerator of a car with the parking brake on. The car runs but with less vigor.
It's hard not to hear Poe's rhythms or Veruca Salt's guitars in Joydrop's music, but the band maintains its own aura.
The album begins with "Fizz," an upbeat tune that is saddled with weak lyrics and vocals. The song is
Vocal effects help Slone's voice to advance the attitude when the chorus chimes and the music intensifies.
The lyrics are just as engaging as Slone's singing: "If I was beautiful like you, I'd have so many friends all fighting for my time, to be next in line, so if I hurt one, I wouldn't have to make amends." Slone furtherns her statement by claiming.
Sone furthers her statement by claiming,
"I'm not beautiful like you. I'm beautiful like me."
A softer "Dream Today" contrasts the more intense songs, intending to comfort rather than to vitalize. The sweet lyric theme and sensual music offer a nice change of pace, proving that a slower tempo doesn't have to be boring.
Jovdrop has no current single, but the band could
be a success if its label, Tommy Boy, chose to support it in the radio market.
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