The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 08, 2002, Page 5, Image 5
THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, November 8, 2002 5
CONTACT US GEORGE GORNS ' ' ' '' ' ^| ' ’ ' ]
GEORGE BURNS: Too bad the only people
Story ideas? Questions? Comments? who know how to run the country are busy
E-mail us at gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com driving cabs and cutting hair.”
Above: An ore, left, faces off against Aragorn In the PlayStatlon2 game “Lord of the Rings.” Below left:
Gandalf the wizard appears In the game. Bottom left: Pippin, left, and Merry are hobbits.
I Video game
combines
first movie
and parts of
‘Two Towers’
BY ANDY EVANS
THE GAMECOCK
Many people have seen “Lord of
the Rings: The Fellowship of the
Ring,” the movie based on the epic
trilogy created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Now, of course, a big hit movie
comes out and some company
wants to try and ride off the
movie’s hot streak by making a
video game based on the movie.
One developer, however, has pro
duced a “Lord of the Rings” video
game that is worth playing.
From the first movie, “The
Fellowship of the Ring,” two games
came out from three different pub
lishers, and that in itself is confus
ing. A game release should be the
same across all systems, but for
one of the games, a separate
publisher handled the Xbox
version.
Many people are fa
miliar with
Electronic Arts
from such games as
the “Madden” foot
ball series, the
NCAA basketball
and football series, and the “Need
for Speed” series. Unlike other pub
lishers and developers, howeven
EA tries to do things right, and that
is exactly what it did with its ver
sion of the “Lord of the Rings”
game, exclusively for the PS2.
What makes EA’s version so
much different? One major reason
is it spans both the first and the sec
ond movie, which won’t be in the
aters until December. The —
game has actual movie
footage from the second
movie to serve as cut
scenes.
EA did
its
home
work and has
tons of resources at it's disposal,
and the company made it all come
together in the game play. Players
can choose from Aragorn the
Balanced Ranger, Gimli the Strong
Dwarf, Legolas the Swift Elf and a
secret character that must be un
locked. EA took a lot of the battle
scenes from the movies and made
them part of the game.
For example, in one of the lev
—^ els, players can participate
“ ns. in the last battle from the
first movie in which a
gigantic swarm of en
emies comes at the
player’s throat. The
battles are crazy,
hectic, fast
Band
iline
1.
ers can
lomly
gaway
the
roller
ad see
what
dam
age
they cause, or they can learn the at
tack buttons and actually have
some' sense of order in the destruc
tion they amount.
After every level completed;
based on how many attacks and
combos players link, they get ex
perience points. These points can
be spent for health increases, ar- .
row-damage output, different move
combinations and other benefits.
And even though the game ven
tures into the “Two Towers” movie,
EA did an intensive job of not letting
any spoilers leak out in the game.^'
The only downfall is players
can’t take the role of Gandalf the
wizard, but that doesn’t mean he
doesn’t make an appearance.
EA has produced and published
a game that takes the thrill, action,
suspense and adventure of the
movie and puts it in players’ hands
for them to control. If you are a fan
of the “Lord of the Rings” movie,
then this is definitely a game for
you.
|
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Improv group keeps
the Art Bar laughing
'I BY MEG MOORE
THE GAMECOCK
Improvisational theater has be
come a trendy form of entertain
ment both on stage and on televi
sion. Popularized by the hit tele
vision show “Whose Line Is It,
Anyway?” improv troupes have
taken root across the country.
In Columbia, whimsical im
prov comedy can be found at Art
Bar, which features its own com
edy troupe, the Art Bar Players.
The group, which recently cele
brated its sixth year, performs
monthly at Art Bar and has also
worked with
wiiumuiUJ'
theater class
#. es. On its Web
■ site, the group
says it prides
itself on being
both “live and
funny” and it
includes a
large reper
toire of engag
ing skits with
in its fast-paced shows.
Improvisational theater de
pends on audience interaction.
The Art Bar Players not only ask
for ideas from the audience dur
ing their shows, but also allow au
dience members to take part in
some of the skits.
With such names as “The
Amazing Underwater Skit” and
“Freudian Slips,” the skits and
games leave audience members
entertained and humorously en
A gage them as well.
' In their shows, the Art Bar
Players stage several of the games
that are featured on “Whose Line
is it Anyway?” “Alphabet” re
quires two participants to act out
a scene in which they start each
sentence with successive letters
of the alphabet. “Audition,” an
other game used by both the show
and the Art Ben- troupe, places one
player in charge of auditioning
others for various imaginary
roles.
“Helping Hands,” up,other
game borrowed from “Whose Line
Is It Anyway?” is also an Art Bar
mainstay. In the game, one play
er stands behind another and uses
his or her hands to replace those
of the player standing in front.
Although many of the group’s
skits were popularized by “Whose
Line is it Anyway?” games such
as “The Amazing Underwater
Skit” are originals. Guaranteeing
that participants will wind up wet,
the skit involves three players,
who are given a scene to act out.
They then take turns keeping
their heads submerged in a buck
et of water.
While one
10 uu
derwater, the
others proceed
with the scene.
When the sub
merged player
emerges for
air, he must
take his place
in the action
and somehow
Avnlain his
soggy appearance within the con
text of the scene. Meanwhile, an
other player takes his turn being
submerged.
While touted as an improvisa
tional troupe, the Art Bar Players
do incorporate written material
into their performances. Scripted
sections are rehearsed on
Wednesdays, while Mondays are
reserved for practicing improvi
sation. Both weekly rehearsals are
open to the public after 8 p.m., let
ting those interested enjoy a be
hind-the-scenes view of the
group’s preparation.
In addition to their free perfor
mances on the second Friday of
each month, group members have
also helped with acting workshops
and improv festivals such as the
Laugh/RIOT Columbia
Improvisation Festival.
Todd Watkins, a Player who
was involved in the inaugural
Laugh/RIOT festival in 2001, said
♦ ART BAB SEE PAGE 6
With such names as
“The Amazing Underwater
Skit” and “Freudian Slips”
the Art Bar Player’s skits
and games leave audience
members entertained
and engaged.
M(J V IE REVIEW
Movie doesn’t work for Sandler
“PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE”
Starring Adam Sandler and
Emily Watson
★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆
BY KRISTIN CHANDLER
THE GAMECOCK
A brief warning to Adam
Sandler fans: “Punch-Drunk
Love” is not the typical laugh-till
you-cry type of comedy that you
have come to know and love
from him.
Instead, the dark romantic
comedy introduces Sandler as
Barry Egan, a pathetic, unhappy
toilet-plunger salesman with
some serious issues and occa
sional violent tendencies. Out of
lonely desperation, he calls a
phone-sex line, but more for con
versation than anything sexual.
Although he is careful to try to
safeguard his privacy, Barry
soon finds himself blackmailed
by the phone-sex operator and
her boyfriend.
From this brief plot outline,
die-hard Sandler fans are proba
bly picturing comic twists and
crazily funny situations that
Barry will get into while trying
to extricate himself from this
blackmail. Unfortunately, these
comic twists and hilarious situ
ations never occur.
“Punch-Drunk Love” starts out
slow and never gets enough mo
mentum to go anywhere. Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, of
“Boogie Nights” fame, focuses on
Barry’s sad life rather than on the
comic potential of the situation.
Barry is the kind of guy who
tries to give clients his home
PHOTO BY BRUCE BIRMELIN/KRT CAMPUS
Sandler and Watson share a moment in “Punch-Drunk Love.”
phone number to talk business af
ter hours, just so that someone
will call him. The kind of guy
who, thanks to the tormenting ol
his seven sisters, is painfully in
secure. The kind of guy who ana
lyzes grocery-store coupons and
figures out that if he buys $3,000
worth of Healthy Choice pudding,
he will be awarded enough free
airline miles to last him forever.
The kind of guy who actually
buys all that pudding, despite the
fact that he has never flown be
fore and doesn’t like to take trips.
The one bright spot in Barry’s
quiet existence is Lena Leonard
(Emily Watson), a friend of his
sister’s who has a crush on him.
Lena goes out of her way to meet
Barry and takes the initiative to
ask him out. Although this seems
to be a weird pairing, Lena really
likes Barry and continues to pur
sue him.
On their first date, Barry’s
nervousness gets the best of
him, and he responds to the
pressure with a ferocious attack
on the men’s room that results
in the manager’s asking them to
leave the restaurant. Lena,
however, passively accepts
Barry’s ravaging of the re
stroom.
Strangely enough, Barry ends
up following Lena to Hawaii,
where they fall in love. After
their trip, Barry is forced to con
front the blackmail situation, as
well as his feelings for Lena.
The filming is excellent —
the rapid camera movement
seems to mimic the intensity of
Barry’s swirling thoughts —
and the plot is decent. But this
movie doesn’t stand a chance at
the box office.
Sandler is a talented per
former, but this role is just too
much of a challenge for him to
handle without being able to fall
back on his humor. While it’s
possible many will see the movie
because Sanders stars in it, the
film would probably have done
better with another actor, in
stead of one known for his
comedic performances.
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Adam
Sandler’s
funny acting
style doesn’t
fit well into
this dark
romantic
comedy.
PHOTO BY BRUCE |
BIRMELIN/KRT S
CAMPUS H
CD REVIEW
Album
will lull
listeners
to sleep
“A NEW DAY AT MIDNIGHT"
David Gray
★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆
BY CHARLES TOMLINSON
THE GAMECOCK
A sun setting behind a
cloudy horizon graces the cov
er of David Gray’s new album.
This peaceful, serene image
matches Gray’s laid-back, folk
. influenced tunes on his new al
bum, “A New Day at Midnight.”
The album artwork also con
tains photos of bright lines blaz
ing through the night sky. The
lines were created by stars in
time-lapse photography, which
makes a series of images visible
in one glance. The album often
has the opposite effect, however.
It contains several strong tracks,
but drags through some sections.
By the end, listeners will feel as
though the album has gone on
for two hours, not 50 minutes.
Gray kicks off his new album
with “Dead in the Water,” which
begins with a rhythm-and-blues
beat and a breathtaking chord
progression. The bass line
strategically drops out at the be
ginning of the second verse, cre
ating an ear-catching tension.
Gray’s lyrics alternate be
tween the breezy and the pro
found. He presents religious im
agery in varying contexts; on
“Dead in the Water,” he refers
to the “killer’s angel eyes” and
“an Armageddon sky.” He
sings, “Tell it like it is,” then
turns the often-used phrase and
sings, “Sell it like it is.” The
song’s lyrics imply religion
might be a ceremonial and
minaiess institution.
Halfway through the album,
on “Kangaroo,” Gray uses reli
gious imagery in a more positive
way. Gray sings, “You could be
my olive branch/Lift me up
above the stench.” The olive
branch, most notably used in the
biblical book of Genesis, is im
mediately countered with, “Will
you won’t you be my leech/Take
it all and when I screech/Leave
it there just out of reach.”
But the middle of the album
is also the place where it slips
into a lull. A piano paints beau
tiful tones on “Freedom,” and
Gray’s voice intensifies as the
song proceeds. The instruments,
however, do not match Gray’s
dynamics, and the song never
builds up effectively.
The lyrics aren’t so inspiring
on “Last Boat to America,” on
which he sings, “Baby, let’s go
all the way this time.”
But on “Real Love,” Gray re
turns to religious overtones, he
sings, “I hear the voice of Eden
cry/Lift me up; I’m walking on
high.” Singing about the vanity
and artificiality of the world,
Gray seems to imply real love
can be found in a higher power.
On the chorus of “Knowhere,”
Gray alternates between bright
major and darker minor tones.
But the rest of the songs toward
the end of the album are gener
ally forgettable; Gray even has
to resort to lvrics such as
“Jumpin’ Jesus, holy
cow!/What’s the difference, any
how?” to keep things interesting.
The strongest and most mem
orable track, “The Other Side,”
is the final song on the album.
It’s an excellent single, but gives
the album a morose ending.
“A New Day at Midnight” is
an album with powerful, beau
tiful compositions. It lags in cer
tain areas, however, so listen
ers might not want to take the
album all in one sitting.
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