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‘Goldmember’ has golden mojo, baby BY CARRIE PHILLIPS THE GAMECOCK Austin Powers ruled the 60s, conquered the 90s and moved on in to the 00s. Now, he has put on the platform shoes and is jive talkin’ to take on the 70s in “Austin Powers in Goldmember.” The third installment in the Powers trilog} is a shameless rip off of countless films, from James Bond and Indiana Jones to “Singin’ in the Rain” to all the blaxploitation films of the 70s. For an unexplained reason, Dr. Evil has decided to bring back the 70s insane, evil, roller-skating genius Goldmember (trust me, the name is explained over and over again) and his plans for a tractor beam. Dr. Evil wants to use the tractor beam to pull a meteor into the earth unless he gets an undeterminable sum of money from the World Organization. Enter Powers, who goes back to the 70s to stop Goldmember from coming to the future. ' Goldmember has also captured Powers’ father, brilliantly played by Michael Caine, and so Powers is there to save him as well. Goldmember escapes with Powers Sr. to the future, and Powers Jr. follows with Foxy Cleopatra (Beyonce Knowles) in tow. From here the movie is wonderfully predictable, using every joke and sight gag from the i first two movies and introducing a few new ones. What “Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me” did wrong, “Goldmember” does right (with the exception of Fat Bastard, who is just not funny). It turns into a James-Bond in-blue-velvet version of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” with some Star Wars, Foxy Brown and perfectly gratuitous cameos thrown in for fun. The movie gives up on any pretense of motive or explanation; There are plot holes you could drive a Mac truck through, but somehow, it doesn’t matter. The story moves fast (except when it stops to pee), the dialogue is snappy (except when it gets stuck on a not-so-funny joke) and the whole presentation is bright and fun (except when - oh wait, it’s never dark and serious). Myers is genius in his portrayals of Powers and Dr. Evil, but the revival of Fat Bastard is even less funny in this movie. Goldmember only has one funny line in the whole film, but after the 12th time, it’s just not so funny. Knowles, while no Pam Grier, wears the hat well and plays the (thankfully) small role to the best of her ability. Caine - well, I don’t have a clue why he decided to do this movie, but I am sure glad that he did. The old man injects a freshness and vivacity that revives the Austin Powers world, and the chemistry between he and Myers is incredibly believable. But for all the problems and plot holes, “Austin Powers in Goldmember” lives up to its predecessors. Turn your brain off, sit down and enjoy the show. Just don’t miss the first and last ten minutes - they make the entire movie worthwhile, and show just how much Austin Powers has become a very serious pop culture phenomenon. Bring on number four! Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles and Michael Caine star in “Austin Powers in Goldmember.” New videos eased summer boredom TUG BAKER GAMECOCKMIXEDITOR@HOTMAIL.COM Over the summer I did an internship in New York, and I discovered very quickly that entertainment doesn’t come cheap in the Big Apple. Almost every movie theater in New York had a $10 admission charge (and no student discount, argh!). What’s a movie buff to do? Take a trip to Blockbuster, of course. I decided to make the most of my situation and check out some of the films that I missed when they originally came to theaters. I also checked out a few films that I had already seen but couldn’t wait to watch again. I’ve picked out my five favorite new releases that can be found at rental stores anywhere. Maybe during an unusually dull dorm room night you can pick - up one of these flicks and turn your night around. “Hie Royal Tenenbaums” ■*■★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ Easily the best comedy of last year, it was a real disappointment when the Oscars almost completely overlooked “The Royal Tenenbaums.” This comedic opus by writer and director Wes Anderson and writer and actor Owen Wilson (the duo behind “Rushmore”) manages to be hysterical one moment and deadly serious the next. An amazing cast featuring Gene Hackman, Angelica Houston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Danny Glover, Bill Murray, and Luke and Owen Wilson chum out damn near flawless performances to boot. “Sexy Beast” ★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ I wasn’t as impressed with Jonathan Glazer’s “Sexy Beast” as everyone told me I would be. The film is a British crime comedy a la Guy Ritchie’s “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels” but without the crazy editing techniques. The entire film seems to be a vehicle for Ben Kingsley, who was rightly nominated for an Oscar for his role as a psychopathic criminal who can’t take “no” for an answer. The film gets points for being about as dark as a comedy can be and still be called a comedy. However, there’s no real point to the film and after the initial fun of it all wears off, there’s not much re-watch value. “Waking Life” ★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ I hated this movie for its first 20 minutes. If it wasn’t for the incredible animation and the four bucks I had paid to rent it, I would have turned it off. By the time the film was over my perseverance had paid off in spades. Richard Linklater’s “Waking Life” follows a young man through what may or may not be a dream as he encounters different characters, who each with their own outlook on the meaning of existence. The animation techniques alone make this a film well worth your time and once the story gets going, it’s pure cinematic beauty. “The Devil’s Backbone” out of ☆☆☆☆* Whether or not you like reading subtitles, this Spanish ghost story is a must-see for any fan of horror and suspense films. Set in post-civil war Spain, director Guillermo del Toro (“Blade 2” and the upcoming “Hellboy”) paints a terribly eerie tale of an orphanage haunted by its troubled past... and maybe something else as well. The film succeeds in creating a brilliantly terrifying tension that is scarier than any slasher movie out there, and an incredible cast of Spanish actors adds the finishing touch to an already impressive project. “The Devil’s Backbone” is the best ghost story film I have ever seen. “Donnie Darko” ★★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ Just so you know, in two years of reviews, I have never given a film five stars... until now. “Donnie Darko” is the most original film I have seen since “Being John Malcovich,” and that’s saying quite a lot. Writer and director Richard Kelly has created a true masterpiece in this film and found an amazing new talent in its lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal plays the title character, a teenager troubled with dreams of a creepy bunny rabbit who makes Donnie commit crimes and tells him of an approaching apocalypse. It may sound silly, but it’s one of the most complex and thoughtful films made in years. Rounding out the cast by giving Noah Wyle, Drew Barrymore, and Patrick Swayze small, but important roles in the movie was a wise move that adds depth and humor to the story. I could write a thesis about this film, but instead I’ll just let you find out for yourself. Baker is a 4th-year marketing student. Be Cocky! Party Smart! between ■ .. RUSSELL HOUSE-H ALCOHOL Based on campus-wide survey data collected from a random sample of USC students during the fall of 2001. Funded by a grant received from the U.S. Department of Education Safe & Drug-free Schools Program; The Prevention of Fligh-risk Drinking and Violent Behavior Among College Students Project. Office of Student & Parent Programs • Russell House University Union • Department of Student life • Division of Student & Alumni Services {