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1 TTT1 li IT'^T' THEY SAID IT Page 6 H hi V A than shotgun,” Wednesday, January 12,2005 I I I J J_T_L_L-ZA- ■thegoEw™ >- - -— —... .. ■ - ■ - | The year in cinema, Female empowerment, foreign imports, adventure and angst-ridden America By D.E. McGUIRT THE GAMECOCK Well, our native planet has completed its annual lurch about the solar system, and that means one thing: Time to talk about movies. All things considered, 2004 was a pretty exciting year to be a cinephile. Three American maestros, Quentin Tarantino, David O. Russell and Wes Anderson, contributed works that demonstrate they are at the height of their creative powers. Aging titans Scorsese and Spielberg added moderately good films (“The Aviator” and “The Terminal,” respectively). Crowds came in record numbers to see Jesus of Nazareth and George of Crawford endure severe public floggings in “The Passion of the Christ” and “Fahrenheit 9/11,” respectively. And speaking of saviors, even Jean-Luc Godard contributed, well, something (a bizarre piece called “Notre Musique,” for those interested). Here are 10 films that do a good job of representing the year in cinema. THE FIVE BEST FILMS OF 2004 1. (tie) “Kill Bill” volumes 1 and 2 —Quentin Tarantino, and “Maria Full of Grace”—Joshua Marston: Despite their obvious differences, these two movies are all about girl power. Beautiful, intelligent, strong women tend to bring out the best and the worst in men. Uma Thurman (as The Bride) and Catalina Sandino Moreno (as Maria) brought out the best in directors Tarantino and newcomer Marston with the two best acting performances of the year. Their characters brought out the worst in their formidable antagonists. Both films feature exquisitely written dialogue and scenes of heart-stopping suspense. “Kill Bill,” which was split in half by a five-month intermission, thrives in its bloody, shimmering artifice. Guilty pleasure be damned, “Kill Bill” is simply a pleasure. Never has a girl kicked so much butt in a movie — literally. “Maria Full of Grace” turns scenes of ordinary life into compositions of , incredible beauty, and concludes with a tracking shot that is simply sublime. Maria is a character Shakespeare would have appreciated. Never has a girl kicked so much butt in a movie — figuratively. 3. “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou" — Wes Anderson: Wes Anderson did it again, giving us another whimsical ride through his own land of adults living in a state of perpetual childhood. His directing style is as distinct as Fellini’s, his characters as quirky and likeable as the gang from “Peanuts.” If the Charles Schulz comic strip is an inspiration for his style, then, as Anderson asserts, Bill Murray is definitely his Charlie Brown. For those that don’t “get” Wes Anderson films, it’s your loss. 4. “Twilight Samurai” — Yoji Yamada: This Japanese import is an epic set in the 19th century, around the time when the age of the samurai was coming to an end. The spare, beautifully choreographed fight scenes are a breath of fresh air for those fatigued by computer-made special effects. Yamada uses muted colors and a traditional story arc to tell this moving tale of a petty samurai (Hiroyuki Sanada) who steadfastly adheres to his code of honor while falling in love with a battered wife (Rie Miyazawa). 5. “The Dreamers" — Bernardo Bertolucci: ♦ Please see MOVIES, page 7 PHOTOS SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK | RESTAURANT REVIEW MORGAN FORD/THE GAMECOCK The Fettoush, Tabouli or Al Amir salads serve as the perfect beginning to a Mediterranean meal, and the hummus, falafel and Baba Ghanouj are delectable selections for the rest of the Al Amir experience. Al Amir dishes Mediterranean delight Al Amir Restaurant ★ ★★★ Ollt Of ☆☆☆☆☆ By BOBBY BROOKS and JENNIFER FREEMAN THE GAMECOCK Booths covered in decorative rugs, pillows to support your back, wall hangings and soft Mediterranean music serve as Al Amir Restaurant’s backdrop. Located next to Za’s Brick Oven Pizza on Devine Street, this family-friendly restaurant provides interesting cuisine for diners looking to broaden their culinary horizons. To start off our meal, we sampled three different salads and several appetizers. The Fettoush salad was the most familiar, with romaine lettuce. The best thing about this salad was the fried pita bits serving as croutons. The Tabouli salad was our least favorite. Made of chopped parsley, it tasted like when you are a child going to your first grown-up restaurant and you try the garnish on your plate. But another tasty option is the Al Amir salad, which reminded Bobby of salsa. The salads are all pre-made and marinated in the dressing, so if you don’t like onions, be wary of this one. After the salad, we tried the falafel and the fried kibbeh. The falafel, which is crushed, deep-fried chickpeas, was OK, but tasted better when dipped in the hummus. Our favorite item of the entire meal was the fried kibbeh. Who knew ground beef covered in cracked wheat could be so good? Any fan of hummus will not be disappointed in A1 Amir’s version and the Baba Ghanouj, which is similar to hummus but contains eggplant. Jennifer liked the hummus better, and Bobby discovered his love of Baba Ghanouj, so no fighting erupted over the division of the dips and sesame-topped Damascus bread. After the appetizers, we shared an entree of kabobs. We each tried lamb, chicken and kufta. The lamb and chicken were both marinated in the same Mediterranean vinaigrette and were the tastiest of the three meats. The kufta, which doesn’t look very appetizing, is made of ground beef and spices pressed around a kabob stick and cooked. Once again, the onions prevented Jennifer from enjoying the dish, and if you don’t like sausage, steer clear of this. The kabobs were served over marinated vegetables and saffron rice, which was a nice change from ordinary white rice. To end our meal, we had peach smoothies that could compete with any smoothie bar around town. We also drank Arabic coffee with our meal, served in tiny, elegant espresso cups. Not bitter like most espresso, this coffee was sweet and easy to drink. Be careful how many cups you drink, however. More than two and you’ll be bouncing off the walls. The restaurant’s atmosphere is very inviting, with no smoking and no alcohol served. If you do want to smoke, there are tables outside. This provides a setting where you don’t have to worry about the smell of smoke affecting the taste of your food. For more health-conscious eaters, the food is prepared from fresh ingredients and made from scratch. There is also a selection of vegetarian friendly dishes. A1 Amir is open for lunch Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and Friday, 11:30 a.m.-l p.m. Dinner is served Monday through Friday, 5:30-10 p.m. and weekends it is open from 11:30 a.m.-lO p.m. Lunch entrees range in price from $3.95 to $9.95, and dinner prices are $6.95 to $16.95. Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu PLAY PREVIEW Trustus tackles ‘Rocky Horror ’ By ASHLEY KOLAYA THE GAMECOCK Dr. Frank-N-Furter, RifF Raff, Brad, Janet and the transsexual Transylvanians are doing the Time Warp again — this time at the Trustus Theatre. Most familiar as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with Tim Curry, the film has been brought to the stage as “The Rocky Horror Show.” The showing of “Rocky Horror” coincides with Trustus Theatre’s 20th anniversary celebrations. Theatre co owner Kay Thigpen said the show is attracting people from as far as Georgia and North Carolina along with local crowds. Thigpen said the usual audience of “theater people” has expanded to include more USC students. The older generation of original “Rocky Horror” fans is also coming to relive the popular experience. “We are celebrating our anniversary, and people had a good time then, and they come because they want to have a good time again.” The fun-filled production has long been known for audience participation. Audience members are encouraged to dress up as their favorite characters and transsexuals. Thigpen said that they haven’t seen as many costumes as in years past, but fishnet tights are common attire at the show. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” showings are typically filled with moviegoers shooting water guns and throwing rice at the screen, but Trustus offers an “actor-friendly participation kit” for $2. This kit includes confetti to replace the rice that could be dangerous to dancers, a small water gun, toilet paper, a cigarette lighter and a playing card. For those unfamiliar with the props used during “Rocky Horror,” each of the items corresponds with a specific song lyric. Thigpen said audience participation varies with each show depending on the audience’s familiarity with the songs. She said the most enthusiastic nights so far were opening night and the Dec. 18 show, the night of the company’s Christmas party. One of Trustus Theatre’s most popular productions, “Rocky Horror” is in its third year with director Randy Hanna. Hanna is an experienced director who has been with Trustus since 1988, directing at least one show a year. Past productions include “Geoffrey,” “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” and “Art.” Half the actors in “The Rocky Horror Show” are regular Trustus company members, and the rest are community actors from open auditions that are held twice a year. “The Rocky Horror Show” will begin tonight, playing Wednesday through Sunday until the end of January. Fridays and Saturdays are almost sold out, but plenty of tickets are available for the Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday shows. Call the Trustus Box Office at 803 254-9732 for tickets. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatnres®gwm.sc. edu PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Production plans were cancelled after parents expressed concern about Hilton’s racy reputation. Town detours ‘Simple Life’ By JOHN CURRAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTIC CITY, NJ. — After getting the cold shoulder in a rural town, Paris Hilton and her reality show are headed for the city. The celebrity heiress and her Fox reality show, “The Simple Life,” whose plans to film at a school in nearby Buena Vista Township were dashed, will instead film this week at a city fire station. “Some guys are excited about it,” said fire Capt. William Brooks, who heads an engine company at the Chief John J. Jasper Jr. Memorial Fire Station, where filming is slated for Friday. Firefighters have signed waivers for production company Bunim-Murray Productions and agreed to remain mum about the filming. Brooks would not give details or say whether the city would be paid by producers. Fire Chief John J. Bereheiko did not return ♦ Please see LIFE, page 8 4 -