THURSDAY,AUG.30,2001 ENTERTAINMENT THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN ' Jay and Silent Bob' crude, dumb, yet still hilarious By Brandon Stinnett Jayplay writer Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a relentlessly crude movie that has no real plot and main characters who aren't interesting. It has one redeeming quality — it's undeniably funny — and that alone makes it worthwhile. It's not always funny, though. Some of the gags fall flat. But they work often enough to keep it entertaining. The movie, written and directed by Kevin Smith, is the first starring Jay and Silent Bob, the same pair of stoners who have shown up in all of Smith's movies (Clerks, Mall Rats, Chasing Amy and Dogma). It pays homage to all of the previous Smith films, with characters from each showing up throughout. Commentary Brandon Stinnett Columnist jayplayksansan.com The story follows Jay and Silent Bob, who, after spending their entire lives standing outside a New Jersey convenience store (the same store that appears in Clerks), learn that a comic book based on their lives called Bluntman and Chronic has been sold to Miramax and is being made into a movie. The hapless losers embark on a cross-country journey to Hollywood to shut down the movie's production. On the way, they encounter many interesting people, including a veteran hitchhiker played by George Carlin and a group of beautiful jewel thieves who bring them along on a heist. - One star: Bad - Two stars: Average - Three stars: Good - Four stars: Excellent Movie rating explanation Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back isn't profound and it isn't even always funny. But it evokes just enough laughter to serve as a passable diversion and put a smile on your face. Two-and-a-half stars. ■ Stinnett's movie review column appears in the *Kansan* each week. Contact Stinnett at jayplay@kansan.com. Best and worst Great movie of the week: Dumb and Dumber, starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. Another movie about two nimrods on a cross-country journey. This is still one of the funniest movies I've seen. Just thinking about many of the movie's hilarious site gags still makes me laugh out loud. A true classic comedy. Bad movie of the week: What Lies Beneath, starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer. The only thing scary about What Lies Beneath is watching two proven stars act in such a bad movie. Scenes that are supposed to be suspenseful at the end of the movie succeed only in evoking laughter. A big disappointment. K.C. symphony to perform Labor Day concert By Nicole Roché Javplay writer With hectic schedules, snarled traffic and a new semester of classes to endure, students may be looking for some relaxation this week. Sarah Shmigelsky, public relations associate for the Kansas City Symphony, said Monday's Labor Day concert might be the perfect solution for stressed-out students. "You've always got to take time out of your busy schedule to do something relaxing and entertaining," Shmigelsky said. The symphony will perform outdoors at the Shawnee Mission Theater. The Johnson County Parks and Recreation is sponsoring the 19th-annual concert event. The theme of the concert changes annually, and this year's theme is "Wild, Wild West." "The symphony will be performing a lot of pieces that people will recognize, but they may not know the names of," Shmigelsky said. The Kansas City Symphony is comprised of 78 full-time musicians. The group is scheduled to perform 38 classical and 14 pop concerts this season, including the one during the holiday weekend. Shmigelsky noted that this concert should be an entertaining experience for just about anyone, not just classical music buffs. Kevin McGrath, Kansas City sophomore, remembers hearing the Kansas City Symphony perform at Kemper Arena. "I saw them perform with Led Zeppelin when I was in the sixth grade," McGrath said. "They played a 20 or 30 minute version of 'Kashmir." It was awesome." McGrath said anyone interested in classical music should attend the concert. "I don't really listen to classical music, but even I would consider going and hearing them again," he said. Tickets are still available at $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 4-12. Contact Roché at 864-4810 OAKS - NONTRADITIONAL WELCOMES ALL OAK MEMBERS! 1st General Meeting: *BROWN BAG LUNCHES* Every Wednesday Kansas Union Alcove C 12:30-1:30pm Tuesday, September 4th. Every Monday Burge Union Cafeteria 11:30-1:30 pm 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Alderson Auditorium KS Union For all non-traditional students & friends. *Nominations for board positions. *Forming new committees. *Children are welcome. Refreshments are provided! Looking forward to seeing everyone! President of OAKS. Joan Winston, CO-VP LauraAnn Grammer For info, call 864-7317 or stop by O&L office 4th floor Hours 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. STUDENT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SENATE WINTER AND SPRING BREAK BEACH & SKI TRIPS On Sale Now! LAWRENCE AUTOMOTIVE DIAGNOSTICS INC. 842-8605 2858 FourWheel Dr. www.sunchase.com 1-800-SUNCHASE Thursday AUGUST 30 Ruskabank with O'Phil, Soul Machtto 737 New Hampshire Lawrence • 841.LIVE Bettleneck Saturday SEPTEMBER 1 Daybirds Pope Factory, Supernauts, Orange Wednesday SEPTEMBER 5 CONVOY Death Ray Davies Centro-matic Friday SEPTEMBER 7 Impossibles River City High Recover Schatzi Come see us @ pipelineproductions.com For upcoming show information and ticket giveaways Accept the evidence for evolution? Believe in the dignity of every human being? We Do Too! And, Yes, there's a Bible Study for us at K.U. Every Thursday "Radical Christians" gather for an in depth look at the Bible on these and other critical issues of our time. Join us as we challenge the status quo and deepen our faith in Christ. Thursdays 8-9pm Starting Aug.23rd E.C.M.Building Info: Heather Hensarling, United Methodist Campus Ministry, 841-8661.