3
REVIEWS
DYING TO SAY THIS TO YOU
The Sounds play a refreshing blend of rock mixed with 80s dance influences but, unlike a lot of the other dancey rock bands polluting the airwaves, they don't rely on the usual tricks. Part attitude, part sing-along anthems, *Dying To Say This To You* is a very good CD.
While most dance rock bands are unable to play together, The Sounds combine a solid rhythm section with driving guitar; intertwining synthesizer riffs and angry vocals to make a great sound
The album starts with a cowbell—a sure pleaser."Tony
The Beat" leaves listeners with a catchy chorus and great backup vocals. The powerful "24 Hours"
has another solid chorus with great lyrics and a pleasant synthesizer melody. "Night after Night," is a slow piano song most dancey rock bands would never even think of trying, because it would
require them to play a style other than "loud and messy"; And finally my favorite song."Painted By Numbers" was what I rocked out
to during spring break.
Most dancey rocks band end up sounding like a cacophony of
sounds that would be considered cruel and unusual punishment to its listeners, but The Sounds leave a sound fans will want to come back to.
They'll be bringing that sound to the Granada on April 26th
★★★
Chris Brower
MOVIE
Slither
*Slither* is one of those movies that you can't really call *bad* without qualifying it. It's wonderfully bad, delightfully bad, marvelously god-awful.
The movie is set in a small Southern town. The citizens are a grotesque bunch, by Hollywood standards — their faces haven't been airbrushed, and their stomachs haven't been aided by liposuction.
The characters are: innocent heroine Starla Grant (Elizabeth Banks), her possessive husband (Michael Rooker) and Sheriff Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion), who has been in love with Starla since childhood.The movie spends a lot of time setting the stage. I'm not sure why. Once the alien invasion starts, the background becomes moot.
The invader is a pulsating, prosthetics-laden space alien who fathers thousands of fleshy red slugs that get into peoples' brains by way of their mouths
(we're treated to an X-ray view of the process, in case anyone is unclear). As alien invasions go, this is probably one of the most disgusting our planet has experienced. Personally, I found the bug in Men in Black a little more repulsive, but I have a thing about cockroaches.
There are genuinely funny bits in *Slither*, though, if you're in the right mood, the whole movie will be hilarious. Just be aware that the movie is as close to being about nothing as a movie can be. At first it looks like it might develop some subplots; don't be fooled. Once the meat slugs take over the town, it's just blood, gore, body-snatched townspeople, and lots of slithering.
R, 96 Minutes South Wind 12
★★
Kit Fluker
GAME
NARUTO: CLASH OF NINJA
While the animations are nicely done and the moves are superb,it seems more should be done for initiating so much damage.
The characters have some distinction, but it isn't enough. With the basic combat moves being limited to only two buttons the definition of each of the character's fighting moves can't be expanded upon: THIS takes away from any depth this game could misses.
Character graphics are done well. The characters are smooth and the animations of the character movement aren't choppy The unlockables for the game,also give the game a definite replay value. The main problem with this game is keeping the attention of other gamers. The game is extremely easy and doesn't bave a big learning curve. Ten minutes of playing will make anyone an exceptional player The survival mode perhaps the best way to refine skills. Also,the game is very short.it takes only six minutes to complete However the 'versus mode' will bring players back for more Nanito - class II of Ninja has all the basics required for a good fighting game Unfortunately,that's pretty much all it has Gamercube
Chris Moon
Inside man
MOVIE
I was quite entertained while watching Spike Lee's Inside Man. But part of it was because I anticipated a big-bang, shock ending — which the film didn't deliver.
Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) claims he's planned the perfect bank robbery. He and his accomplices enter a Manhattan bank wearing painter jumpsuits, take the customers and employees hostage, and force them to strip down and wear the same costume that the robbers are wearing.
The questions from the beginning are: what does Russell want? Why that bank? Why hasn't
he killed anyone? What is he so desperate for? The branch owner of the bank, Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), thinks he knows, but he tells no one. This is clearly about more than money.
From there, it becomes a battle between the police force and the robbers. Just when the head detective on the case, Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington), thinks he's making headway, and even perhaps outsmarting Russell, he finds he's been bugged, or has been listening to a tape recording. Russell seems to have thought of everything.
So you can see why I was
anticipating a surprise ending.
The acting is superb. Owen is equally creepy and genius. Washington, whom usually seen as a dramatic, stone-cold leading hero, actually plays a somewhat clumsy, goofy, undependable detective who's out to prove he can still compete with the best. This case is pivotal for him. And Jodie Foster, whose character, Madeline White, was hired by the bank manager to keep his information from leaking, takes on her usual powerful role. She's found her niche.
This movie has all the makings to be great. Don't get me wrong — it's
very good. The plot is creative, yet not overly complicated. The characters are believable. The cinematography keeps you guessing. And there are funny parts. It doesn't take itself too seriously. I just wish the ending had tied loose ends together in a more unexpected way.
South Wind 12 Rated R,129 minutes
★★★
Ashley Thompson
14> JAYPLAY 04.06.2006
★★ You'll want to leave the theater early ★★★ You'll say "db" ★★★★ You'll rave to everyone who asks ★★★★