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; ... MOVIE REVIEW Stale humor strikes out Fever Pitch ’ PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Fallon and Barrymore star in “Fever Pitch," the adaptation of Nick Flornby’s novel. “FEVER PITCH” ★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ By MARJORIE RIDDLE FOR THE GAMECOCK Intending to hit a home run of a film, the Farrelly Brothers strike out instead with “Fever Pitch.” While the preview for this Jimmy Fallon-Drew Barrymore comedy promises a funny yet heartwarming tale about a man whose obsession with the Boston Red Sox causes him to risk losing his dream girl, the only decent scenes are those incorporated into the trailer and the actual Red Sox baseball footage. Barrymore stars as Lindsey Meeks, a successful businesswoman on the verge of her 30th birthday and an impending promotion. Lindsey meets high-school teacher Ben Wrightman, played by Fallon, when he brings his honors geometry class to tour Lindsey’s workplace. After coming to terms with Ben’s modest job as a teacher, Lindsey and Ben begin dating. Their relationship seems to progress well with few unexpected setbacks until the baseball season approaches. Lindsey learns that Ben is a fanatical follower of the Boston Red Sox, and he bases his life around the Red Sox’s season. Ben’s uncle taught him to love the game when he was a kid and left season tickets to him after he died. Lindsey’s work schedule and Ben’s baseball schedule conflict, and they have to spend more time apart. Initially, this creates little turmoil, but Lindsey comes to realize Ben’s love for the game comes above everything and everyone else — even her. Ben admits he fell in love with baseball as a lonely child because he had nothing else, but now that he’s found someone he can love possibly more than the Red Sox, can he give up the game for that love? And should he have to? Obsessive sports fans will likely relate to the struggle in getting others to understand their passion for the game when their fanaticism seems absolutely ludicrous. Fallon does an adequate job of playing the infatuated Ben, but Ben’s wardrobe and the bedecked set do the convincing of his diehard love for the team. Viewers tend to either adore or abhor Barrymore — she is just above mediocre in her performance as the workaholic Lindsey. The film exhibits the kind of humor that makes viewers cringe while they’re laughing. When Lindsey is hit with a line drive foul ball, a subsequent scene elicits laughs, showing an enormous, grotesque bump on her forehead. “Fever Pitch” directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly, affectionately known ^as the Farrelly Brothers, also directed There s Something About Mary” and Dumb and Dumber,” but unlike these films, Fever Pitch” presents stale humor with its considerably unoriginal script. Perhaps the Farrelly brothers were drawn to the story because it involved the Red Sox and the infamous “curse of the Bambino.” As luck would have it, the year this movie was filmed and in post production, the Red Sox actually won the World Series and the “curse” was officially lifted. This long-awaited victory slightly altered the intended ending of the film, emphasizing the Red Sox s success. _ ... . L i ne rum would nave uecu with more footage of the Red Sox s miraculous season and less of Fallon and Barrymore’s characters. The meshing of the storyline with Red Sox games was the movie’s only existing attribute of originality and desirability. Boston Red Sox fans should see the film, but only for sentimental reasons, because like 86 years of waiting for a World Series title, the muddled, half-hearted laughter that comes with “Fever Pitch” is sure to disappoint. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gum.sc. edu Chicago comedy troupe comes to Columbia Do you like to laugh? Are you having trouble finding something really funny going on in your everyday life here in Columbia? Have you finally grown weary of your only humor coming from your classmate’s poor fashion choices? If any of these questions pertain to you, then I bet you are pretty bummed about not laughing a lot. However, tomorrow this will all change for a day as Chicago’s world renowned Second City comedy troupe will march into Columbia and put on a rare performance at the Koger Center beginning at 8 p.m. Second City turned 45-years-old this year and has served as the launching pad for many of your very favorite comics. Beloved comics such as John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Chris Farley, John Candy and The Ladies Man himself, Tim Meadows all honed their craft before they moved onto bigger endeavors such as “Saturday Night Live” or even more huge, the John Candy/Macaulay Culkin masterpiece, “Uncle Buck.” c-- „,:ii some of the group’s best sketches, songs and improvisations in their history. And while some of these comics may be better known for their fast lifestyles, there’s no denying the fact that they have all been incredible talents. The performance, will be featuring some of the group’s best sketches, songs and improvisations in the troupe’s illustrious history. It will also be the opportunity to see many comics before they break it big. Based on the troupe’s alumni roster, it is almost a certainty that one of tomorrow’s great stars will be ♦ Please see COMEDY, page 8 ♦ December 1959: The Second City opens at 1842 N. Wells in Chicago. ♦ February 1967: The Second City Touring Company is developed to bring improvisationai theater to American cities. ♦ October 1975: Saturday Night Live debuts on NBC with Second i City alums John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, and Bill Murray the next season. ♦ September 1982: SCTV is nominated for 7 Emmys, wins for Best Writing for a Variety Show. ♦ March 1983: The Second City/John Belushi Scholarship Fund established. ♦ June 1988: Mike Myers joins Bonnie Hunt and Barb Wallace at SC Chicago in “Kuwait Until Dark or Bright Lights, Night Baseball,” the 70th revue. ♦ October 1988: The Second City and Ron Howard’s Imagine films form a joint television venture ♦ April 1991: The Second City and Walt Disney Television enter into a long-term production venture. ♦ August 2001: The Second City tours Saudia Arabia, Kuwait and U.A.E. on a U.S.O. tour. ♦ November 2001: The Second City addresses the World Trade Center attacks in the cathartic and critically acclaimed, “Holy War, Batman!” ♦ March 2003: The Second City celebrates its 1,000th performance at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Timeline Courtesy: The Second City Official Web site CD REVIEW Bianco reveals musings of the sex-driven male i-- --■ I —. ... Jtty b?a nCe> “HANDSOME DEVIL” Jim Bianco ★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ By JENNIFER FREEMAN THE MIX EDITOR Jim Bianco will seduce audiences with his mix of playful songs alternating with brutally honest tunes about the male mentality, all sung with a provocative, raspy growl. Bianco’s distinctive vocal sounds will be what first draws audiences in, but it soon becomes clear that the lyrics and music are what will give Bianco the edge to make him a lasting musician. Bianco does an admirable job of mixing genres and combining folk, jazz, rock and pop. On other albums this might be overwhelming, but this album avoids that path by maintaining an underlying thread of similarity in the subject matter. t “Handsome Devil” is Bianco’s second IF YOU’RE GOING WHAT: Jim Bianco and Adam Whiting WHERE: Jammin’ Java, 1530 Main St. WHEN: 8 p.m. Tuesday album, with a sophisticated mix of songs all dealing with the male psyche. In. the Nashville, Tenn., City Paper, Bianco said, “These songs aren’t cynical; they’re dark. This shows a side of males that they often try to hide, but which can be found to some extent in all of us. The difference with the character is that he doesn’t try to suppress of hide any of this. He’s unaware of the consequences of these actions until they happen, but then he has to deal with them.” If all the songs are supposed to be about the same “Handsome Devil,” Bianco does an amazing job of covering the whole range of emotions. The title track and other tracks like “Goodness Gracious” go to the heart of a sex-driven man. “Goodness Gracious” delivers a New Orleans jazz-sounding, unapologetic admission of what a man wants from a woman wearing “spaghetti straps upon a marinara dress, stiletto heels and a cross across your chest.” Bianco admits that “the sheets are clean but the mind is dirty” to the background sounds of catcalls and applause. “Handsome Devil” first establishes the suave atmosphere that fits so ♦ Please see BIANCO, page 8 PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Men don't need to sacrifice style. Brightly colored shirts can be paired with tailored suits and matching pocket squares for fashionable looks. Stylish ensembles can work for men By JAMES H. BURNETT III KRT CAMPUS For many American men, being told you do anything “like a girl” is considered an insult. Throwing. Hitting. Running. You get the idea. But fellas, if you haven’t figured out yet what makes for a hot wardrobe, it’s about time you learned to shop . . . like a girl or better yet, a woman. While many women understand the concept of buying clothing, mixing and matching items to create multiple outfits, many men shop by mannequin — purchasing outfits that don’t work with other clothes. Following the plastic guy s lead is not always a bad thing if you’re stumped, says our expert, Clinton Kelly, co-host of The Learning Channel’s “What Not to Wear,” the show that helps the hapless dress to fit their bodies and ages. Kelly suggests you follow these tips: Shop for pants first. “Start on the bottom. Generally men’s trousers don’t come in as many colors as women’s. They tend to come in neutral colors, like black, charcoal gray, khaki. If you stick with neutral on the bottom, that’s gonna make your life 100 percent easier, because with a neutral color as a ♦ Please see STYLE, page 8