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Hot Nights, Cool Flicks Summer movies delivered surprises, disappointments By CARRIE GIVENS THE GAMECOCK Summer 2004 was not without its action-packed blockbusters, spine-tingling thrillers and classic chick flicks. The season’s movies featured a leather-clad Halle Berry; a cutthroat, homicidal Tom Cruise; and a perfectly toned Brad Pitt. There were monsters that stalked nearby villagers, conniving plans to take over the White House and a fat, orange cat with an inflated ego. And as always, some movies fared better than others with audiences. The long-awaited third installment of the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” brought in the big bucks for director Alfonso Cuaron, who was new to the fantasy franchise. “’Harry Potter’ was the most entertaining movie I have seen in a long time,” second-year biology student Rita Czako said. However, Czako was disappointed with M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village,” which foreshadowed an unpleasant end for its provincial villagers. She explained, “You expected to be frightened, not crying ... it wasn’t what you expected.” The summer movie season also triggered an onslaught of Sequels and a reappearance of some of the silver screen’s most popular characters. Kicking things off with an opening weekend box office of over $100 million, “Shrek 2” recombined the comic talents of Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy. Shrek was quickly followed by the reunion of Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst in “Spider-man 2.” Matt Damon won over movie goers with his reprisal of Jason Bourne in “The Bourne Supremacy.” This past weekend, the box office was topped by the revival of monstrous movie legends in “AVP: Alien vs. Predator” and the feel good sequel “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.” Other movies that fared well included “Dodgeball,” which featured the always-amusing Ben Stiller, and the romantic comedy “The Terminal” starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Yet, for all of the popular movies, there were many that did not appeal to some USC students. Second-year pie-pharmacy student Mollie Gowan did not even think twice about seeing “The Notebook.” “It looked sappy and awful,” she said. “One of my friends commented that it made him want to swallow turpentine.” Czako promised that she will not see “Open Water,” which opened on August 6. She said that it “is too real life.” Overall, the summer movie season delivered its share of smashes but fell short of spectacular. Even so, this year’s PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Brittany Murphy stars in “Little Black Book,” the summer comedy that shows the consequences of looking through her boyfriend’s personal items. The film didn’t live up to expectations at the box office. films served their purpose — “Shrek 2” made us laugh, “Fahrenheit 9/11” helped kick off the presidential election season and “Little Black Book” prompted us to think twice before we snoop through other people’s belongings. As for the upcoming fall season, be on the lookout for Colin Farrell’s “Alexander,” the firehouse drama “Ladder 49” and a star studded cast in the mystery “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatnres@gwm.sc. edu CD REVIEW McCain puts music first on ‘Scream & Whisper9 “SCREAM & WHISPER” Edwin McCain ★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ By MEG MOORE THE GAMECOCK It’s been a while since Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be” took pop rock radio by storm and became the wedding anthem of the late 90s. But for a singer-songwriter who’s never seemed to care about chart positions and TV appearances, the music has kept on coming. McCain’s latest release, “Scream 8c Whisper,” is yet another solid collection of Southern-tinged tunes, thick with the same earnestness that once bolstered his appeal to ballad lovers. “I’ll Be” and “I Could Not Ask for More” may forever be adult contemporary station staples, but McCain’s true talent lies in his continued ability to turn out rootsy rock tunes. “Scream & Whisper” evidences an artist not straining for another MTV smash but enjoying his craft. More laid-back than 2001’s polished “Far From Over,” McCain’s latest effort finds him collaborating with Angie Aparo on “Shooting Stars” and pairing with Maia Sharp on the pained “Say Anything.” The majority of the tracks tackle love and heartache, yet McCain has chosen to musically confront social issues as well. On “Good Enough” — “This one’s for the Godfather, Duke, Ella and the Count” — he denounces racism, proclaiming, “When I see this kind of hatred, I die a little inside.” “White Crosses” tells the tale of an illegal immigrant carted to America in search of work — “I will gladly pick your peaches or clean your hotel room /1 will do the jobs that Americans won’t do.” Such sobering stories of injustice exemplify McCain’s strengths as not only a balladeer but also a socially conscious crooner. Strung through the acoustic rooted tracks, Craig Shields’ saxophone adds a jazzy edge to the album. His velvety lines embellish tracks such as “Turning Around” and “Good Enough.” Coupled with Larry Chaney’s bluesy lead guitar, the sax turns solid pop rock into something more soulful. The kiddie-lit themed “Farewell to Tinkerbell” stands out as one of the albums strongest, upbeat tunes; “How Can You Say That” seethes with the smokey ambiance of a dimly lit blues bar. Whichever McCain is on display, “Scream & Whisper” showcases a troubadour who’s still got it — even if it has been several years since his last hit. The album sags on some of the slower tracks, but what it sometimes lacks in charisma it makes up for in gravity. Edwin is nothing if not earnest from the first note to the last chord. Closing with a cover of Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May,” McCain ♦ Please see MCCAIN, page B8 I [fl™Jjjy9®8fsince1973 patagonia darel<p KIHI-7T I c £>| 1 I f ? H (/>. 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