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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, June 5,2002 , 7 CONTACT US 1\/TTV ~ THEY SAID IT E-mail us at gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com I I |"1 . \\l I I /\ DOUGLAS ADAMS: “I may not have gone where I intended to _L -L -L 1 A -i_ T _L J- J. \_ go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be." PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Ben Affleck stars as CIA agent Jack Ryan in Paramount Pictures’ “The Sum of All Fears. MOVIE REVIEW “THE SUM OF ALL FEARS" Staring Bet^Affleck, Morgan Freeman OUt of -Ciirtriii! BY TUG BAKER THE liAMECOCK In an America that is so awash in patriotism that the true American spirit has become deluged in a sea of American flags car magnets for $14.95, a movie like “The Sum of All Fears” is quite a welcome change. Based on the best-selling novel by Tom Clancy, the film tells the story of how Clancy’s famous CIA agent Jack Ryan (originally played by Harrison Ford, now played by Ben Affleck) got into his thrill-ride life of international crises. As plots go, Clancy’s can be a bit confounding for someone who doesn’t keep up with current affairs, and “The Sum of All Fears” is no exception. An Israeli nuclear bomb, lost during a war with Syria and Egypt in 1973, is recovered and sold to a group of neo-Nazis who plan to use the bomb to maneuver the US and Russia into a full-blown nuclear war. The choice of an underground Fourth Reich is an interesting one. While having a current US enemy as the villain wouldn’t be politically correct, every nation in the world can come to the simple agreement that “Nazis are bad.” The major players in this nuclear chess game are US President Fowler (James Cromwell) and newly-elected President of Russia Nemerov (Cirian Hinds). As one of the first big surprises of the film, Nemerov is portrayed very sympathetically, even though he must mvade Chechnya to appease certain military officials in order to keep Russia from splitting apart. Jack Ryan (Affleck) is a historian specializing in Russian who is brought in by presidential advisor Bill Cabot (Morgan Freeman) to give advice on Russia’s new leader. However, as the plot to pit the world powers against each other advances, Ryan finds himself in a much more active role in saving the fate of the free world. ♦ FEARS, SEE PAGE 8 CD REVIEW Eminem shows his stuff on new album “THE EMINEM SHOW” Eminem ★ ★ ★ ★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ BY WILLIAM MILLS THE HAMECOCK Eminem's third major label album, "The Eminem Show,” has exploded with a bang, and there isn’t much the censors and critics can do about it. This album is packed with the same controversy and in-your-face lyrics that have always made “Slim Shady” so appealing. However, this album seems a little less humor-oriented and more emotional. The record actually shows Eminem to be more of a tortured poet than anything else. The cool beats are sewn together with lyrics so deep that his pain bubbles to the surface, and the substance of “The Eminem Show" is enough material for two albums. The release contains 15 songs, five skits, one behind-the scenes DVD, and countless possibilities for singles. All of this is done under the watchful eye of Eminem’s mentor and friend, executive producer Dr. Dre. Dre also joins several other artists, including Bizarre and Nate Dogg, who will be featured on a few tracks. The passion and pain of the album does justice to the hype generated prior to the release. “The Eminem Show” is much less likely to make you giggle and laugh than it is to make you clench your fists and harden in the face of sadness. The album deals with important issues like suicide, alienation, politics, and relationships. “Sing for the Moment” is one of the most powerful songs on the album. It is about the power of music, and how it can be a warm blanket for kids who need an escape from all the bad things in their lives. “Sayin’ Goodbye to Hollywood" expresses Eminem's problems with being rich and famous. He openly expresses how being so popular makes him feel trapped, and he wishes that he could go back and choose another life. Although the album isn't bursting with humor, Eminem still seems to insult indiscriminately, the worst on this album being toward Moby in the song “Without Me.” Throughout the rest of the album he addresses everything from terrorism to censorship, but the most powerful theme in of "The Eminem Show” is his wish for a better life for his daughter Hailie. Evidence of this is seen in the lyrical tribute to his daughter - “Hailie’s Song.” It wouldn’t be surprising in the least if Eminem made this album his farewell to the music world, or retreated to the underground after this album: It would be difficult for him to top “The Eminem Show" in theme or overall sound. And even if he stays, this album will forever engrave him in the heart of hip-hop. > i Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com