22 jayplay.
thursday. august 21, 2003
Open Range PG-13, 117 minutes. South Wind 12
Kevin Costner's beautifully handmade new, western offers downbeat alternative programming at the end of a summer when movies pummeled audiences into a brain-dead stupor. The film's slow pacing and patient attention to detail make it a risky proposition for the college crowd. But kinetic or not, the movie is made to last where others are content to rip you off in the opening weekend before fizzling out.
directs with the same humanistic spin that warmed white audiences to Dances With Wolves, a three-hour epic about the demise of Native Americans. Open Range feels a bit laborious in its middle parts, and a more disciplined director might have chopped off the film's drawn-out closing sequences. But the first act is truly lovely, with idyllic images of the Rocky Mountains. They provide a backdrop for another wonderful performance by the young Mexican actor Diego Luna (Y Tu Mama Tambien). Costner's stylish climactic shootout presetv live down the The
Costner crafts a familiar tale about good cowboys and corrupt lawmen primed for a bloody showdown, but he
Grade: B*
CD SPOTLIGHT
Eve 6
After coming off the radio hits "Inside Out" and "Here's to the Night" with an album declared as "a new beginning," you would think Eve 6 was following the formula to fade into mediocrity. However, on its third album, It's All In Your Head, the band has delivered a promising new beginning.
Eve 6 made it huge right after high school, touring non-stop. After a much-needed hiatus, the band returned with a deeper feel, bolstered by front man Max Collins' haunting voice and the band's melodic hooks. Guitarist Jon Siebels concurs."We realized that there was growth that had to occur before we could make another album and show people what we were made of," he says.
On their new album, the band experiments with tracks such as "Hey Montana," an edgy, country-style song of world-weariness. Contrasting are rock ballads, such as the Dylanesque "Girlfriend," which rely on the popular theme of breaking up. This is not to say Eve 6 has abandoned its riff-heavy, punk- and hard-rock roots or their powerful and intelligent lyrics. "Part of finding ourselves as a band is looking at what makes us special and what made people interested in us in the first place-which is why this record, sonically, is more guitar, bass and drums. We've taken steps forward." Siebels says.
"Not Gonna Be Alone Tonight and "Bring the Night On" are filled with melancholy, while "Still Here Waiting" and "Without You Here" balance it out with punkpop worthy fare. "Think Twice," the first single released from the album, boasts a catchy chorus and funky vibe. With its vast range of influences, It's All In Your Head is a good record for whatever ails you.
—Mindy Osborne
Grade: B+