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Tie Ban Page 4 ? Twr ki ATDI' I mwm ITIMI l>li critics wrn A computer a hacker, Neo * ( k e a n u __ Lights, Reeves), disCamera, covers that all Reaction life on Earth could be nothx ^j | I | j ing more than ' ' an elaborate Dm (flour stars**** facadecreated by a malevolent cyber intelbgence. He joins rebel warriors Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (CarrieAnne Moss) in their struggle to overthrow the Matrix. Written and directed by the Wachowski brothers. by Katy Evans Gamecock Critic You wake up in the morning, get , dressed, go to class, eat, take a nap, maybe go out partying, then fall asleep, only to wake up the next day and re- , peat the cycle. To you, this is real life, but to those who understand the Matrix, it is only a dream world. Written by the Wachowski brothers and starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving, "The Matrix" is a clever, thoueht-nrovokine and ingenious niece of filmmaking. It tells the story of Neo (Reeves), a computer addict who has spent the past two years searching for an answer to the question: What is the Matrix? Only Morpheus, a legend believed to be the most dangerous human alive, can help him. Simply asking the question has placed Neo in grave danger from the Agents, the Matrix's law enforcement. If he truly wants to find answers, he must accept the consequences of never returning to the life he has known Tragi* end For writer by Chris Richter fWI The Richter Scale ? When I was little, I used to collect comic books. I never really read them; instead, I just looked at the pictures and put together my own stories. One of my favorites was "Conan" and its various spinoffs. I was always enamored by the monsters, bloodthirsty warriors and scantily clad women. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I learned the comics were based on stories by pulp legend Robert E. Howard. Raised in a ! sparsely populated pocket of Texas, he 1 created characters as if he were recording them as they roamed the empty 1 landscape of his home state. The video pick of the week is "The Whole Wide World" (1996), starring * Vincent D'Onofrio as Robert E. Howard ' and Renee Zellweger as Novalyne Price, a local schoolteacher and the object of i Howard's affection. Based on Price's 1 book "One Who Walked Alone," the film i tells the story of the romance between I the two. The leeend of Robert E. 1 Ouf V Do t)ou like to live on th : Here ; become a mei (Raising Alcohol an< " The R.A.D.I.C.A.L. team campus social environment thai participate in on-going educatr workshops for other students a Applications are available Activities Center, Russell Hous J APRIL 16. For more informatio OFFICE OF : ALCOHOL : S?,DRUG PROGRAMS < cock V X' DAZZLES 1 EFFECTS and taking on responsibilities far be yond anything we could imagine. After suffering a long, slow process of induction, Neo is finally shown the truth. The world we live in is the Ma trix. It's an intricate computer prograir that controls our destiny without us knowing. It was created to hide the re al purpose for the human race: to sus tain a giant computer network in an other reality. Morpheus and his team are somt of the only surviving humans who live outside the Matrix, in the real world Morpheus teaches Neo that everything is controlled by the mind. Anything car be learned just by downloading a computer program into your brain, such as kung fii, jujitsu or how"to fly a he licopter. The plot is compelling, but it's the computer graphics and use of photography that make "The Matrix" so impressive from a visual perspective. One of the camera techniques used creates the impression of motion and stillness at the same time. The technique makes Neo and the Agents appear to dodge flying bullets. A similar visual tech nique is used in Horn's "Freak on a Leash" video. ; J T'~ i iiii5 mill liiipi cs&cu inc, aiiu i ul not usually a sci-fi fan. Although the subject matter is serious, it has mo ments of humor?for example, the mar tial-arts fight scene between Neo anc Morpheus which resembles something out of "Street Fighter." "The Matrix" is a must-see, it wil make you view life through new eyes by Rob Lindsey Gamecock Critic -kick In the tradition of sci-fi noir ("Blade Runner," "Jacob's Ladder," "The Crow,' Howard, the writer, had spread, anc Price, an aspiring writer, longed to meei this published author. A notorious recluse, Howard was devoted to his mother (Anne Hedgeworth) and did al of his writing in his room in his par ents' home. After being given the runaround by Mrs. Howard, Price comes to visit Howard. She is intrigued by his writing, specifically by the performance of the story as he writes. She begins to spend time with Howard and quick ly realizes that he lives in his own world At the center of this world is his moth er, and at times, their relationship appears to have Oedipal tinges. Price has a hard time dealing with this She understands other DeoDle because she lives in the "real world." Howard lived his life in a fantasy world, where his "yarns" were his experience. He does not know how to treat Price sometimes being charming and Jimmj Stewart-ish, at other times being cruel and callous. Price knows Howard is an incredible person but cannot make him understand that other people matter. This inability to live in the real world and his attachment to his mother lead to the film's, and the relationship's, tragic end. D'Onofrio gives a terrific performance as Howard. An underrated actor, he will play Abbie Hoffman in the film "Abbie!," due out later this year. Zellweger, in a pre-"Jerry McGuire" him, turns in a strong portrayal of a I T t? VereMc to hOfia vifh asme owl pe, g cutting edge? ! is the solutic nber of the R.A.D i other Drug Issues through Cha peer mentors are Carolina stude t does not focus on alcohol and oth onal training in the area of alcohc ind assist with campus-wide proj in the Office of Alcohol & Drug F e. The application deadline is rig n, please contact the Office of Alee HAVE I MAKE ADIF JOIN THE R.A.D. ?nc< II o a l a n d I V V 9 V II H All Ahoard From left: Matt Doran, Carrie-Anr Rshburne and Belinda McClory star ? r [ "Dark City"), "The Matrix" significanti ly ups the ante in the special effects dei partment, while at the same time lowering the acting bar on what has been a fairly respectable sub-genre. : In the case of "The Matrix," however, the effects, the Wachowski brothers di rection and an intriguing, mysterious plot make up for the lead actor's lack of talent. Keanu Reeves stars as only Keanu can. His valley-twinged "Bill and Ted" delivery is ever-present as he attempts to give the audience every shade and i nuance of what, in other hands, could have been a vastly intriguing characl ter. Instead, he manages to invest Neo, ; a super-hacker who may or may not be "the chosen one" of a desperate, futuristic society, with about as much conl viction as an O.J. jury. True, in the sec1 ond half of the film, dialogue and acting ability don't matter nearly as much as I how much but you can kick, but with a more capable actor, the first half of the film wouldn't have been so mediocre. Aside from Reeves' lackluster performance, this film is definitely one any sci-fi fan should see, especially if you ; liked last year's "Dark City." 1 senee t D'ONO FRIO ZELLWEGER ? w 1Spfw wf ? m mmamm i I mtStmrntmrnmammKmUUmmmmmmmmmmM 5 The Whole Wide World > **Tfte year'a sso&t M r heartiest love fetor,!' f* S <.:?' ! ' small-town woman caught at a cross! roads in life. The film is not overly sentimental, a problem characteristic of 1 too many dramas and romances. Instead, it chooses to look at the relationship as it was: loving but difficult and tragic. A neat touch the director, Dan Ireland, throws in is the sound ef feds when Howard is writing. You hear ! the clashing of swords and the yelling of men, as if you were put right into Howard's mind during the creative process. a >n... i .I.C.A.L. team! ; inge And Leadership) ?nts who focus on promoting a a er drug use. After team members >1 and other drugs, they facilitate | ^ramming efforts. 'rograms, located in the Campus m ;ht around the corner: FRIDAY, >hol & Drug Programs, 777-5780. J FUN! j FERENCE! ; I.C.A.L. TEAM! I ore & Enter! for Fun Time " WMm ^( Special to The Gamecock ie Moss, Keanu Reeves, Laurence is a team of rebels in "The Matrix." Without giving too much away, the plot is basically this: A resistance force from the future (led by Laurence Fishburne in an odd yet apt casting move) recruits Reeves because he might be "the one" they need to lead them to victory. Against whom and for what cause, you'll have to see the film to find out. The supporting cast, including Fishburne, is very solid. It is quite surprising to see him and Reeves spar at breakneck speed in one of the many martial-arts action sequences. Another standout performance is turned in by Hugo Weaving, who plays the evil Agent Smith. His character seemed a little too 'X-Files" at first, but when the guy in the suit starts in on the same lightning-fast martial arts moves as the heroes, you know it's something different all together. The script, written by the Wachowski brothers, is intelligent and well paced, referencing everything Irom Alice in Wonderland" to "The Wizard of Oz," from the Bible to Zen Buddhism. It's rare to find a sci-fi movie that actually plays like a novel instead of a shoot-'em-up action fest (not to say that action is lacking in "The Matrix," but Dayroom s diversity 01 by Katie Rowen Gamecock Critic 1/2 Dayroom's third al- EggBHESl bum, Better Days, is an 11 impressive combination of diverse and multilayered songs. Mem- (I bers Michael Winger (vocals, guitar, princi- IB U pal lyricist), Jimmy hHK Riddle (keyboard, sam- IB pies, vocals, lyricist), HhjMBNjB cals) and Brad Zim-1 merman (drums) have each contributed their talents to a enjoyable and respectable album. The first track, "Not Enough," gral you with a strong combination ( guitar and drums, and Winger's di; tinctive voice takes you into the sonj "Not Enough" is the first single off Be ter Days, and though it is not the a bum's best song, it has catchy lyric and is radio-friendly. The album's title track exhibit Zimmerman's steady percussion a the song switches beats. Winger re veals another pitch to his voice and i Faculty (R) " fv.J? _ /n/S' - lwin uraguns \ru-uj Out of Tbwners (PG-13 Forces of Nature (PG-1 Mod Squad (Rjl The Corrupter (R) Doug's 1st Movie (G) Cruel Intentions (R)_.. Matrix (PG-13) i V aliment Sectlen " Friday, April 9,1999 gpl^l I ^^ftlMfllB^H %lllllt^l^S ""it ft HMRPw_ ^:a BL. fl Huh 'i i Hf |3H v-':- JaB * *$?/,,*i*?,5^*v.'.' _ :<*$* "-, .- HS|\ *S&HHM^HhH KQ|f||fc ^|r ? ' :SC ? '^^5v^T-^> ., ;\ - *i gga .. iitwMrTaWj^wBn^B * "^ill ^^ Imai " :<"*" ""W -gfe'rfr1,'.! MS ^^TMffy'fl Special to the Gamecock Keanu Reeves stars as Neo, a computer hacker and potential savior of humanity in Warner Bros.' "The Matrix." it has a purpose and is executed with just for this movie, including a sequence a style rare in the sci-fi genre). in which Reeves and an agent dodge Andy and Larry Wachowski also di- each other's bullets in super slow morect the film with the same sure-hand- tion. ed, distinctive approach that put them "The Matrix" was originally intended on the Hollywood A list with their de- as the first film of a trilogy, and the endbut film, "Bound." This time, however, ing is open enough for this to be a disthey have the big budget of a major stu- tinct possibility. If the film's box office dio behind them. As a result, the spe- gross is high enough, keep an eye out rial effects for this film are astounding, for a "Matrix Part II." Several techniques were invented howcases new *"<? Advice J (O1 i 4Better Days admirably backed up by Riddle and eluding the best chorus on the album, Kelly. and unique sounds from the instru"Stranded" is one of the best songs ments. on the album. With A song that makes its transitions I near-perfect transi- from melodic to angry, "Crazy" is a tions, one of Dayroom s showcase for the diversity of Winger's BlllMttlMMi strong points, and voice, as well as for Riddle's keyboard WL Winger's particularly playing Tnl ^oothvoice,strand- <T>ay by Day" is Daymom's answer m% |M| ef, as ?caPa 11 - to the swing phenomenon. The rhythm Sju MR MPL. i 0 *g 0f <<rrii I *s houncy and catchy, and Riddle has JIJIJn Die," the^bum's only "eatf a rao[e son^than love song, are mainly his other track, Condo. Hitouching and heartfelt Dayroom somewhat loses its 11 B ?J This is not surprising, uniformity on "Goodbye." The song n considering Winger wrote it for band seems off and not smoothly pulled member Kelly's wedding. The chorus, together. Though each element is im)s however, borders on annoying. Jump, pressive, their combination is confus)f Little Children's Ward Williams pro- ing. 3. vided the cello solo in a very pretty The last two songs on the album, l *i _1 _1 umr . l n i LiT-? i n 7 song, aespiie minor gnicnes. iviayDe ana rostcaras rrom a t- Perhaps the most catchy song on Midwestern Salesman," can only be 1- the album, "Truth," blends memorable described as poignant. The lyrics in :s lyrics and at times chaotic instru- "Maybe" have the capability to bring mentals to create an awesome song. a tear to one's eye, and "Postcards" is 'S Fine wins the award for most touching. With its lyrics of a lonely ,s unique opening, which sets the tone man's solace, it brought to mind Otis >. for the rest of the song. It is a psy- ?Sittin- on the Dock of the Is chedelic trip with insane lyrics, in- ,, 9:00 ?#0, 3:45, S-M, 9:30 i) It 2:00,3:55,5:50,7:50,9:50 13) 2:10,4:40,7:10,9:35 i ?. 4-1(1. 7:00. 9*4C 2:05,4:30,7:00,9:25 2:00,3:50,.5:35,7:20 3:10,5:35,7:35,9:40 1:45,4:30,7:10,9:45 ^General Cinema Columbia Mall Cinema 7201-802 Two Notch Rd. 788-7664 $3 seats all day on Wednesday * Certain features may be excluded t ' J