The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 31, 2005, Page 8, Image 8
MOVIE REVIEW
Fanning's acting resuscitates tired scary-movie themes
“Hide and Seek”
Starring Robert De Niro,
Dakota Fanning
★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆
By MARJORIE RIDDLE
THE GAMECOCK
Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning
reinvent child’s play in the new thriller
"Hide and Seek" with surprise plot twists
and a somewhat predictable ending.
De Niro stars as David Callaway, a
newly widowed father who moves with
his daughter Emily, played by Fanning, to
upstate New York after his wife’s suicide.
Emily experiences the shock one
would expect with such a tragedy, but
she is downright creepy when strange
and seemingly unexplainable events
begin to occur with the introduction of
her imaginary friend, Charlie.
David, a former doctor and
psychologist himself, worries that his
daughter is being controlled by the
supposed imaginary playmate. David
relies on a new companion, Elizabeth,
and his former colleague Katherine to
help him with his own grief over his wife
and his misunderstanding of Emily’s
fervent need for Charlie.
Emily, encouraged by Charlie, treats
Elizabeth with the utmost contempt. The
only person Emily trusts is Katherine.
As the plot weaves between real and
imaginary, the mystery mounts about
Charlie. Happenings go from eerie to
gruesome, leading to a shocking
development.
The ultimate twist tries desperately
to detract cliches and unoriginality.
Fortunately, viewers won’t be
disappointed with the conclusion.
De Niro gives his usual gutsy
performance, but the real star of this film
is Fanning. Embodying the pan with dark
brown hair contrasted against death-like,
pale skin and startling blue eyes, Fanning
gives an absolutely stellar performance.
Her blank stares and hollowed
expression perfectly show her
indifference to the world following her
mother’s suicide. Her appearance is
truly saddening.
In fact, Fanning’s performance as the
traumatized child is comparable to that
of Haley Joel Osment’s in "The Sixth
Sense." So comparable, the audience
might feel the urge to ask, "Do you see
dead people, too?"
Fanning is only 10 years old, but she
is another child actor beyond her years,
shown in her capability of capturing
Emily’s cycle of emotions, ranging from
depressed to content to frightened.
Famke Janssen of "X-Men" fame
stars as Katherine, the concerned
colleague and friend. Janssen’s is a
minor supporting role, but she is a key
character in the climactic conclusion.
Katherine is the nurturing sympathizer
and the only one able to connect with
Emily since Emily shuns every attempt
her father makes to reach out to her.
Considering the vast amount of
cheesy thrillers offered to the viewing
public, "Hide and Seek" recycles an
overused anecdote but is able to stretch
it into something seemingly new.
^hile the film won’t necessarily
contend for any great film awards, "Hide
and Seek" will entertain sufficiently
while showcasing the haunting array of
talent provided by Fanning.
Comments on this story ? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gum.sc. edu
KC BAILEY/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dakota Fanning plays the role of a disturbed daughter who is grieving her mother’s death with the help
of a supposed imaginary friend, Charlie. Her father, David Callaway, is played by Robert De Niro.
Horror flicks pervade market
By LIBBY KRAH
THE GAMECOCK
Horror movies have experienced a
resurgence in popularity during the past
few years. Not just reserved for October
and Halloween anymore, the recent and
upcoming releases of movies such as
"White Noise," "Hide and Seek" and
"The Boogeyman" perpetuate this
trend.
These movies represent a welcome
change to some film enthusiasts.
"I haven’t seen any of them, but I
appreciate what they’re trying to do with
the supernatural, psychological thrillers
instead of just creature features," Chad
Henderson, a second-year advertising
student, said.
Some students enjoy Hollywood’s
latest frightful offerings.
"In comparison to what else is out
there right now, they’re pretty good,"
Dave McCullough, a first-year electrical
engineering student, said.
First-year international studies
student Kelly Wilkinson is not
interested in new scary movies.
"I don’t think I was ever really that
scared of a movie except for when I was
like 5 and ‘Ghostbusters’ scared me," she
said.
Many fans miss the days of older
horror flicks, like Hitchcock movies and
horror series like "Friday the 13th" and
"Halloween."
"I’m not really a fan of horror
movies. I enjoy the classics, but I don’t
think they’re that scary, and the new
ones don’t even compare," Wilkinson
said.
Some people have other reasons for
their disinterest in these films. The sheer
volume of movies released is
overwhelming. Many themes, such as
darkness, an unseen evil force or serial
killers are repeated over and over in this
genre.
"There’s only so much you can do to
scare people, so a lot of stuff is kind of
overdone," Krissy Kalinauskas, a first
year business student, said.
Horror movies have been saturating
the market with these repeated themes,
making audiences less likely to see
several movies on the same topic, rather
than one good horror movie. The vague
nature of the trailers for many of the
films, including "Saw" and "Darkness,"
is discouraging for first-year English
student Shannon Feeney.
"The previews don’t tell you
anything about them, so they don’t
really interest me. I wouldn’t pay to see
them," she said.
The movies’ use of modern
technology also played a role in the
formation of people’s opinions.
"The new ones are relying more on
special effects," Feeney said.
While digital effects made many
complicated sequences more realistic, they
often easily became the focus of the movie
and detract from any existing substantial
plotlines, which is a rare find in the genre.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK '
Skye McCole Bartusiak (Franny) stars with Barry Watson (Tim) in
"Boogeyman," the latest horror film from producer Sam Raimi.
Working out
at home can be i
encouraging
By LISA LIDDANE
KRT CAMPUS
While having a gym at home might
help encourage exercise, it also has
many things you should take into
consideration before spending a dime.
Here’s what you should think
about:
Choose an appealing location that
makes you want to work out. The
ideal: a room dedicated to exercise.
The reality: the garage, bedroom,
study or great room. Make sure the
space is well-lit. Keep in mind that
the noise from some exercise
machines will affect others who are
resting or sleeping while you work
out. Measure the space and
equipment to make sure there’s
enough room.
Consider the ventilation. The
room temperature should be
comfortable when you’re exercising
intensely. A fan can help if you don’t
want to turn on the air conditioner all
the time.
Add entertainrrient or a view to
keep boredom away. Options: TV,
videos, an MP3 player and, if you’re
on a stationary bike, magazines and
books. A view of the outdoors can be a
good distraction.
Pay attention to the flooring. Put
down a mat to protect the carpet
from sweat and constant wear and
tear. If you work out to exercise
videos, avoid thick-pile carpets or
rugs when doing step or kickboxing
movements. These surfaces can add
stress to the joints when you’re
pivoting.
Keep a towel and workout botde
filled with water handy. It’s annoying
to disrupt exercise to grab a cold glass
of water from the kitchen or get a
towel from the linen closet.
The essentials of a home gym are
equipment for strength training and
cardio conditioning and a mat for
yoga or Pilates.
Try equipment first at stores and
friends’ or neighbors’ homes before
you buy. For strength training, use a
set of free weights or a space-saving
pair of Bowflex SelectTech
dumbbells.
You’ll need an adjustable exercise
bench, too. Some fitness experts like
using an exercise ball instead of a
bench, but I recommend that
beginners learn the basics on a stable
surface before adding the challenge of
instability from an exercise ball.
For those who prefer resistance
machines, there’s a wide range, from
multistation machines to more
compact equipment such as BowFlex
and Total Gym.
If you’re on a tight budget, use
resistance bands and body weight.
. Treadmills and ellipticals are the
most popular home cardio machines.
Expect to spend more than $ 1,000 for
features and quality that approximate
those of gym machines. See the
January Consumer Reports magazine
for a buying guide. Stationary bikes
and bikes for indoor cycling are
alternatives for those who want less
impact on their joints.
Cycling training videos might help
when using indoor cycling bikes.
If you already have a bike but have
a small budget, tty a trainer that
attaches to the rear wheel of your bike
and provides some resistance while
you pedal indoors.
A better idea: Ride, walk, jog or
skate outdoors.
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK
Angelina Jolie, famous for her roles in films such as "Gone in 60
Seconds,” serves as a goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR.
Jolie encourages
stars to volunteer
By ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DAVOS, Switzerland — Going back
to making movies isn’t easy after doing
something as rewarding as helping
refugees, says Angelina Jolie, the actress
turned U.N. goodwill ambassador. Jolie,
one of the celebrities attending the
World Economic Forum said acting
cannot compare with the voluntary job
she signed up for with the U.N. High
Commission for Refugees in 2001.
"If I’ve had a few months I’m having
trouble going back to work because I’m
finding that my time at home with my
son and taking him around and traveling
to UNHCR programs or other parts of
the world is just more fulfilling and
more interesting to me and I know is
more important," Jolie said Saturday.
"At the same time I know that by
doing a film and making money and
remaining in the public eye, I’m able to
fund more programs and I’m able to
bring more attention. So I know I have
to do both. But it is hard to go back to
work."
Jolie, who spoke to reporters a day
after actress Sharon Stone raised $1
million from forum participants to fight
malaria in Africa, said she thinks
celebrities can serve a valuable role by
publicizing the realities of world
problems.
"We need the political will, and that
ofteiv comes from the will of the people.
So if celebrities or personalities can help
to educate the people - not influence
them, not tell them (what to do) - just
tell them the truth about what’s
happening and let them form their own
opinion, that will strengthen them and
they will push their politicians."
She said business leaders attending
the forum in the Swiss Alps are showing
growing interest in helping the world’s
refugees.
"I met with a lot of UNHCR’s
business partners who have already been
committing their resources and time,"
said Jolie, who is a goodwill ambassador
for the U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees. "There’s quite a few."
She said the interest in helping
refugees didn’t need to be purely
altruistic.
"Business people can understand that
these are people that will be returning to
the countries that were destroyed," Jolie
said. "If they have proper support and
education when they’re in the camps or
support when they’re back, they can
make the country stable and maybe in
the future they don’t go into conflict
again.
"It’s smart humanitarianism," she
said. It’ also smart business."
New
Musiq for the week of February 1
“Red, White, &Crue”
Motley Crue
“All the Best”
Una turner
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“Heart & Soul”
Joe Cocker
*Pepper’s Ghost”
Arena
"PerfectoPresents... The Club”
Paul Oakenfold
SPOCK'B BBARO
“Octane”
Spock’s Beard
“Here’s to the Mourning”
Unwritten Law
!‘Anthology: The First 30 Years”
/The Marshall Tucker Band
"The prestige of an honor society,
responsibility of a service organization,
and the fellowship of a social fraternity."
Phi Sigma Pi
National Coeducational
Honor Fraternity
Informationals
When: Feb. 2 and 3
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: RHUU 304
Must have 3.0 GPA to join
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