The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 24, 2005, Page 7, Image 7
MOVIE REVIEW
Garner's sex appeal can't save superhero saga lacking plot development
Jennifer
Garner
returns to
the big
screen for
her role as
Elektra, a
superhero
adapted
from a
Marvel
Comics
character.
“Elektra” is
the first
action movie
of the year.
PHOTO SPECIAL
TO THE
GAMECOCK
“Elektra”
★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆
By JENNIFER FREEMAN
THE MIX EDITOR
Comic-book movies are becoming
the hottest ticket in Hollywood. With
the “X-Men” and “Spider-Man” movies
having achieved box-office success,
Marvel is attempting to recreate more of
its comic books into movie form. This
success is not guaranteed, however — a
certain amount of creativity and
originality is necessary. The trailers for
“Sin City” and “The Fantastic Four”
look like they might achieve that
combination and go beyond the
standard fare. Unfortunately, “Elektra,”
the “Daredevil” spin-off does not
achieve any such greatness.
The makers of “Elektra” depend too
much on special effects and
cinematography, and hope the “eye
candy” factor will overcome the lacking
storyline and acting abilities.
There is obviously an interesting
story behind the Elektra character, as
evidenced by the numerous flashbacks
to her childhood. Unfortunately, the
film does not explain these flashbacks,
and the audience is left wondering about
the factors that shaped this superhero.
Jennifer Garner doesn’t give much
depth to Elektra. Her mediocre acting
abilities don’t allow for any range
beyond the tortured soul of a superhero.
In fact, the first half hour of the movie is
spent drilling into the audience’s head
that Elektra is a tortured soul, she is all
alone in the world, she kicks major butt
and she’s hot. These points were driven
into the ground throughout the entire
movie, but the reasons behind this
character were never really explained.
The film’s main storyline involves a
young girl Abby, who has the potential to
become an even greater force than
Elektra. This girl, known as The Treasure,
was the best character in the movie. For a
young actress, Kirsten Prout fleshed out
the role as best as she could with what she
was given. Once again, the script didn’t
allow for much explanation of Abby, so
the audience was left wanting to know
more of The Treasure’s mythology.
Elektra is a hired assassin at the
beginning of the movie, so it is hard to
determine where the line is, but if Elektra
is considered the “good guy” of the
movie, the evil villain organization called
The Hand would be the “bad guy.” This
group is made up of people named for
their various abilities. Typhoid causes
disease in anything she comes into
contact with. Tattoo can make his
tattoos, like a falcon or a wolf, come out
of his skin and come to life. This group is
searching for The Treasure to use her for
evil, and Elektra is trying to protect her.
As a hired assassin, Elektra was sent to
kill Abby and her father, Goran Visnjic.
Of course her conscience prevails, and
she ends up helping them. This wasn’t
revealed right away, but it was extremely
obvious and there was no suspense in the
film at all. The audience always knows
what is going to happen.
The problem with comic book movies
is that they are so popular, studios are
trying to churn them out as hist as
possible. This makes for movies lacking in
quality and riddled with holes. There are
cool special effects and sexy characters,
but the reason comic books are popular is
because of the lore surrounding them.
When they are recreated into movies, the
audience wants to know the story along
with the action. “Elektra” misses out on
the opportunity to make a detailed,
interesting movie, and takes the easy route
by focusing on the visuals.
In the last scene of the movie, Abby
thanks Elektra for saving her life by
saying, “You gave me back my life.”
Elektra responds with, “No, you gave me
back mine.” I was left wondering, “Who
is going to give me back the last two
hours of my life and my $7?”
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu
Chef adds dash of flair to TV
By HEATHER McPHERSON
KRT CAMPUS
Alton Brown is the science teacher
you dreamed about in high school:
funny, yet focused; intense, yet far
from irrational; and a bit wacky, yet
focused on procedural protocol.
As host of the Food Network’s
popular “Good Eats” (8 a.m. Saturday
and Sunday; 7 p.m. Monday through
Friday; 10 p.m. Wednesday and
Thursday), Brown is one part culinary
instructor and one part mad scientist.
Add a touch of Mel Brooks, and that
formula is gold.
His audience ranges from children,
to teens, to young adults and to
seasoned cooks.
“1 don’t think too hard about why
kids or adults enjoy the show,” Brown
said. “I’m just glad the show works and
they watch. Some things are just plain
voodoo, and kids are one of those
things. Kids respond very well to
information and knowledge. They
aren’t threatened by it. And I believe
the more a kid gets invested in the
cooking process, the more the kid
might eat the food.”
Brown — who is touring to
promote his new book, “I’m Just Here
For More Food” (Stewart, Tabori &
Chang, $32.50) — is not the typical
Food Network host.
It’s the science that sets him apart
from the other Food Network stars. He
doesn’t just demonstrate recipes, he
intricately and wryly explains why the
bread crescendos or cracks, why the
meringue wimps or weeps, and why the
sauce curdles or coalesces.
A former cinematographer and
video director, Brown spent much of
his time between shoots watching
television cooking shows, which he
found to be as pallid as an uncooked
roux.
The formulas for the shows he saw
were accurate, but the programs lacked
flair and flavor in production. Like a
roux, things needed to be heated to get
things going.
Convinced that he could do better,
Brown trained at the New England
Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt.
Then, using his newly refined culinary
skills, he developed “Good Eats.” His
new book is a “Good Eats” text that
focuses on baking — well, actually
mixing if you want to truly grasp the
science.
“Everything that happens in baking
is science, some of it is physics,” Brown
said. The art of baking comes after
you have made peace with the science.”
The book took Brown much longer
to write than expected.
“Halfway through I started over
again,” he said. “My approach was
wrong. I realized I didn’t know how to
bake. Not that I didn’t know how to
actually bake, but from the perspective
that I didn’t have my head around the
concept of baking.
“I realized that I was actually
writing a book about mixing. When I
started categorizing things by mixing
methods, the baking book became
clear.”
This approach is part of the Alton
Brown charm. Home cooks can have
stacks of recipes, but without the
respect for the process, it’s a lot of
words on paper and very little dinner.
“There’s a lot of bad baking because
elements of the recipe are difficult to
describe. The (baking) recipes are not
so much about ingredients as they are
procedures,” he said. “Actions matter
and that’s a hard thing to put into
words.”
These edible equations are a lot
more than supper to Brown. As an
adult, he came to understand how
cookery can be a great teaching tool.
“I wish they had offered home
economics when I attended high
school, I might have done better in
science and math. The science of
baking gives equations context,” he
said.
“In biology they made me dissect a
fetal pig — a skill I have never needed
since. However, if they had made the
class dissect a whole chicken — now
there’s a life skill.”
Brown recendy signed a three-year
contract with the Food Network to
continue making “Good Eats” and
handling play-by-play commentary on
the new “Iron Chef America,” which
airs 9 p.m. Sundays. He also will start
work on a two-hour special about road
food.
“I’m going to travel Route 66 on a
motorcycle — my other great passion
— from coast to coast,” Brown said.
“Road food used to define American
cuisine. It showcased the country’s
diversity. We’re losing more and more
of these places, and I’m going out in
search of what’s there.”
But he’s not veering off his well-fed,
mad-scientist course. Even the new
Iron Chef America will have the Alton
Brown touch.
The original Japanese cult classic
delighted foodies with bad overdubs
that rivaled “Godzilla & Mothra: The
Battle for Earth” and ingredients Such
as sea urchin that were churned into
everything from ice creams to savory
custards. In “Iron
Chef America,”
Brown revs up the
interpretive dance to
a rumba with live
reports on the action
in progress. Think
Dick Vitale calling
Mario Batali’s
moves: no script,
just a game called j
on the fly with lots J
of splatter, sizzle J
and shtick.
“Each chef is a
provided a basic pantry,” Brown said.
“They can bring a certain amount of
stuff as well, but (Iron Chef Masaharu)
Morimoto, for example, might bring
15 kinds of kelp. Fifteen kinds of kelp!
That makes my job a huge cram
session.”
Before the show, Brown receives a
list of what the competing chefs will
work with so that he can correctly
identify anything out of the ordinary.
“My show (“Good Eats”) is not
about strange, obscure ingredients. It’s
more like: ‘Hey, we’re making
meatloaf.’ On “Iron Chef,” I instantly
need to be an expert on $ome bizarre
wrinkly food.
“I’m blown away by the (“Iron
Chef”) competition. These are master
craftsmen competing against each
other, the clock, the judges and
themselves. There’s no one coming in
between takes to reset or restock. It’s
real food in^eal time.”
Viewers can expect a not-subde
seasoning of education and the Alton
Brown-style.
Alton Brown
Sij^^rSv IjPBH
HI
CD REVIEW
Alpinestars transcend keyboard gimmickry
“White Noise”
Alpinestars
★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆
By SID THATTE
THE GAMECOCK
The Alpinestars are Glyn Thomas
and Richard Woolgar, a duo from the
Qtaeen’s Land, the UnitedV Kingdom.
Electronica is their realm. Their opus
White Noise” would be classified as
techno-pop music. It’s got a good
blend of popular music and techno
wizardry. The beats stand out. The
lyrics, though, aren’t very thoughtful.
But then, one wouldn’t expect poetry
in dancemiisik anyway. But this album
has more than just keyboard
gimmickry.
Tracks 1, 2 and 3 are upbeat; they
might get you tapping your feet. Track
13 is the video of Snow Patrol (track
#1). It’s a fantastic ride, great
imagination, quality graphics, the
works. Number 4 is sad and can be
done away with; it’s so unlike
Alpinestars. It sounds more like a
break-up song. Track 5 is melancholy,
but melodious. Pay particular attention
to the skillful manipulation of the
keyboard in track 6. Brotherhood,
number 7. is an ambient instrumental.
Groove number 8 is mellow, but has a
firm rhythm. If slow dancing is your
thing, then it’s for you. In fact, the
music in this track has the likes of
Dido and the Pet Shop Boys.
Number 9, Carbon Kid, is my
personal favorite. It’s basically
electronica, but it sounds like classic
rock heavily doped with elements of
progressive rock. Fusion music would
be the best way to label it. Carbon Kid
resurfaces sometime later on the album
in a remixed form (#12), but is only
ephemeral. Track 14 is the video of
Carbon Kid. The video’s thematics
involve a lab experiment in which a
carbon copy of a human is created,
which appears to be in an internecine
race with the original. At the end of the
video, they both end up destroying
each other. It’s a weird video, but
typical of techno artists.
Besides music, Alpinestars are also
into fusing words,. such as
“crystalnight” A and “lovecraft.”
Crystalnight (#10) sounds smooth and
romantic. Slow dancing again?
Perhaps. New Ice Age (#11) sounds
like the kind of ambient music you
hear at night on “Echoes.”
Whether they sound like crying
doves or laughing hyenas, Alpinestars
sure do sound nice. I’d recommend
“White Noise” if you like the Pet Shop
Boys, Dido, Travis, maybe Interpol (to
some extent), or any music with traces
of brit-rock or shoe-gazing elements.
FCC-proof clean lyrics, coupled
with pretty good music place this
album at 4.5 points on my scale of 5.
Strangely, their website
www.alpinestars.com will take you to a
strange place that does not belong to
them. You may actually check them
out at
www.astralwerks.com/alpinestars.
Comments an this story? E-mail ^
gamecockfeatres@gwm.sc. edu
New
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