Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Oct. 21, 2004, edition 1 / Page 8
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8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2004 Actors most valuable in stirring pigskin picture BYAYOFEMI KIRBY STAFF WRITER The Permian High Panthers were the crown and glory of the small, impoverished town of Odessa, Texas —a place so quiet that a pin drop could be heard from a mile away. That is, until Friday nights. A story about a sleepy town and a championship football team, “Friday Night Lights” might seem like just another high school sports movie. But it is definitely a step above the rest. The film, based on the novel of the same name by H.G. Bissinger, is the true story of the Permian High Panthers’ 1988 football team and the adults living vicariously through their children’s lives. Before the game, players are fed for free, businesses close and every one in town is ready to cheer for their football team hopeful they will bring home honor and atten tion to the impoverished, otherwise ignored and overlooked town. But, quickly, “Friday Night Lights” becomes more than the typical high school football story and develops into an examina tion of the lives, relationships, hopes and dreams of the people in Odessa, using football to assure them that there is fife outside their small town. PUNK VOTER FROM PAGE 5 going be dead in 20 years,” he said. “We’re all going to be around for a lot longer than that” Thetic said the efforts of Punk Voter, as well as other organizations such as Rock the Vote, Music for America and Slam Bush, are all valu able touchstones for people to use to educate themselves. “Punk Voter is a resource for peo ple to get involved, and it’s definitely a time in history where people and their votes really matter.” Kaia Wilson of Durham-based punk band The Butchies said Punk Voter is a very effective tool of com TATTOO Jf Winter & Spring Europe on Sale Bake in the Mediterranean sun. Check out the whirl in London and Amsterdam. Or if you can't wait 'til spring, ride the Alps this winter. Just be sure to buy a Student Airfare now during StudcntUniverze.corn's Autumn Europe Sale. Because airfares to Europe just don't get any cheaper than this. Roundtrip Student Airfares from Charlotte to: *219 *259 LONDON PARIS, ROME FRANKFURT, MUNICH AMSTERDAM Visit StuderrtUnlverse.com for cheap Student Airfares on Lufthansa, United and the world's major carriers to Europe, and to more than 1,000 destinations in the US and around the world. •V * o. \ StudentUniverse.com MOVIBeSVIEW 'FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS' ★★★★ Directed by Peter Berg, the film explores issues of alcoholism, child abuse and racism, among other social themes. These, along with the pressures of bringing home a state championship, make for an excellent story line. The cast of “Friday Night Lights” delivers an outstanding and heart felt performance, full of compas sion and short of the brawn you might expect coming to see a film on football. Billy Bob Thornton does a superb job playing Coach Gary Gaines,, who is trying to find the balance between being a coach, a friend and a father to the players. Lucas Black plays Mike Winchell, a tight-lipped quarterback who doesn’t realize that he is the heart of the team. The intensity in his eyes speaks much louder than any word he utters throughout the film. Country music star Tim McGraw and award-winning actor Derek Luke present the film’s most nota ble performances. McGraw is convincing as an alcoholic and abusive father, dem onstrating that not all musicians crossing over into acting lack sub munication for voters. “The Internet really makes it eas ier for people to get motivated and feel like they’re a part of something,” Wilson said. Punk Voter oiganizers hope that feeling lasts longer than the next two weeks. After the election, Jeg said, the group will remain focused on expanding the scope of smaller, grassroots political efforts. He cited the organization’s sup port of longtime punk musician Jesse Townley, who is running for city council in Berkeley, Calif. Jeg said Punk Voter is supportive of Townley and his efforts because his dedication to political activ ism reflects the kind of long-term Diversions stance. Derek Luke, who gained critical acclaim for his work in “Antwone Fisher,” delivers another profound performance as cocky star running back Boobie Miles. Luke, who was handpicked by Denzel Washington for his role as Antwone Fisher, follows closely in the footsteps of his mentor and friend. “Friday Night Lights” is shot in the style of documentaries, with shaky camera work, blurred shots and over-the-shoulder angles. These techniques cause the film to seem more like an ESPN special on the journey of the team than a melodrama. Though this technique can be bothersome to audiences if used carelessly, Berg uses it to his advan tage, providing authenticity to his work. “Friday Night Lights” is an excel lent film, full of emotion, heart and action for drama and sports fans alike. When the Permian High School football stadium lights came on in Odessa, Texas, in 1988, everyone was there to feel the heat. After seeing “Friday Night Lights,” you’ll feel it too. Contact theA&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu. involvement the group wants to encourage. To support Townley, Punk Voter links to Iris Web site, http://www. townleyforcouncil.org. Whenever that site is highlighted on Punk Voter, Townley said, his campaign donations via Pay Pal increase. “A lot of them have never dealt with politics before, and it’s their first political contribution,” Townley said. “It’s very flattering.” Townley added that he has been working hard to go out and speak to many of the residents in his district. “Identifying with a political figure is rare, and by talking to them, they have a chance to identify with me .on a more personal level.” Townley said he is one of the indi vidual endorsers of Punk Voter, and The Frisk, the band he’s currently in, was one of the first groups to sign up for Rock Against Bush Vol. 1. “The sales from the CDs and DVDs show a real hunger for more info that’s not been filtered through the media outlet of your Crook’s Corner Fine Southern Dining Sening Dinner & Sunday Branch Bar & Dining room open liies-Sun at 5:30 pm. Sunday Branch 10:30 am to 2410 pm • 919-929-7643 610 West Franklin St Chapel Hill, NC • www.crookscomer.com FREE Practice Test! DAT ORE MCAT OAT Take a free practice test with Kaplan and find out how you’ll score before Test Day! UNC SPH--Rosenau Hall Saturday, October 23 9:00 AM Call or visit us online today to register! 1 -800-KAP-TEST kaptest.com/practice Test Prep and Admissions . *Test names are registered trademarks of their respective owners, j Limey crew spin own brand of blitzkrieg bop BYJACKY BRAMMER STAFF WRITER Pop bands are a dime a dozen especially diched British ones that have seen Oasis on MTV Europe too many times and have decided they wanted to get wasted, get laid and cuss on TV a lot But accents are cool, and that’s all that matters, so it’s tolerable. It’s refreshing when an album like -the self-titled debut release from the Futureheads comes along. The up-tempo post-punk style of their music is so addictive you go through withdrawal when you turn back to other bands. Lead singer Barry Hyde has an inviting voice that attracts the ear. His vocals are also versatile enough to give the music different facets, as in the a cappella “Danger of the Water.” Overall, there’s a certain care free quality to the energetic North England quartet’s manic sound. It does not always make sense, but the listener just goes with it On the track “A to B,” the lyrics are simplis tic: “It is a shame/It is a pity/When you can’t raise the energy/To get from A to B.” Whether the song is talking about the hassle of going to classes and jobs on a daily basis or the struggles of middle-school geometry students, it’s unknown, but it’s dang catchy. As bizarre as the connection is, it is reminiscent of 01’ Dirty Bastard’s almost incoherent rantings on choice,” he said, adding that while Punk Voter has an anti-Bush orien tation, he believes in open debate and discussion. “‘Punk is a pretty open-ended term. I don’t mind having con servatives involved, and they can’t be denied a place at the table. I welcome talking to people, and I don’t mind saying, ‘Here I am, here’s what I believe in, here’s my e-mail.’” Russ Rankin of the bands Good Riddance and Only Crime said such philosophies are key in attracting new voters. Both of Rankin’s bands are members of Punk Voter. “Voting can be intimidating. There are these personalities that kids may look up to, and in that aspect, it’s a very important thing,” Rankin said. “There are people in the punk . community with a lot of sway, and they’re starting to talk.” Rankin said it's important to keep people educated about poli tics and their world, especially since he thinks the mainstream media MUSICftEVICW THE FUTUREHEADS THE FUTUREHEADS ★★★★ Return to the 36 Chambers that verge on a type of idiosyncratic genius. The band’s vibe is exceedingly fight Indeed, the band is not trying to say anything epic with its 15 songs spanning 35 minutes. The LP feels like a downhill roller coaster. After the opening chords of “Le Garage,” a title which may or may not be a potshot at the frogs across the Channel, the album is off, and there is no stopping it It’s moving so fast it’s racing to be over. Every song ends before it wears out its welcome. On the flip side, this can prove a shortcoming, because you don’t want the songs to end. On the track“Fiist Day” one might wonder if the band was aware of what listeners would be thinking: “And they say faster, faster/It’s time to take you to the next stage/ But it’s only your first day/And you’re not ready for the next stage.” Despite the death blows of Monty Python and Mr. Bean on American impressions of the Brits, the Futureheads are a good addition to any fish-and-chips-eating, Franco bashing afternoon. Contact theA&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu. doesn’t do enough to inform people about candidates other than Bush and Kerry. “The debates are a great exam ple of the whole political landscape that bullies people into thinking they only have two choices,” he said. Rankin wrote a column for Amp magazine titled “Mid-Term Election Hangover” that discusses the media and its “scare tactics.” Punk Voter asked him if it could run on the site, and he agreed. Rankin said that while Punk Voter leans more to the left, he’s a proponent of using the right to vote to voice one’s own opinion for change. “So many people are voting against what they hate instead of something they care about,” he said. “MjVdtkiSteO'important to use it like that” Punk fen or otherwise, there are a multitude of resources directed at participating in the elections and exercising the right to, as Chuck D once put it, bring the noise. Wilson said that while bands have built-in forums to express their opin ions, average people don’t. That’s why, she said, they need to view political participation as a way to make their voices carry. “Voting is an expression of using your voice.” Contact theA&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu. Smile with Dr, T Ky" by Peter A. Tzendzalian. DDS fsh M ***§ Q: Can eating disorders cause dental problems? Wmm A: Yes. Bulimia and anorexia nervosa are two serious eating disorders. Each can cause problems in your mouth. Anorexia nervosa is an unnatural fear of gaining weight. Bulimia is a con dition in which a person compulsively overeats and then induces vomiting to get rid of the food. anorexics also induce vomit ing. The danger to teeth comes from stomach acid that is regurgi tated into the mouth by vomiting and severely eroding tooth enamel. Women from their teens into their thirties are most at risk for developing eating disorders, although males are also in cluded. A dentist may be able to restore eroded teeth, and may also raise concern over possible eating disorders. Depression of ten accompanies eating disorders and affected people, whether bulimic or anorexic, wiU often develop poor oral hygiene habits. Problems like periodontal disease can develop. While a dentist can treat the appearance of teeth with cosmetic dentistry, the un derlying causes of enamel erosion may require medical interven tion. Regular dental checkups should be part of your plan for maintaining your overall health. Presented ae a service to the UNC Chapel Hill Community by Or. Petpr A. Tzendzalian. DDS. More questions? Call me. www.drpetert.com • 402-9200 AT 140 & HWY 54 BEHIND HARDEES • CHAPEL HILL • 489-1230 „.Q STUDEtITSf Sk Show your UNC ID to receive unlimited bowling \ V. games at $2.00 each! I Mjf Call us for special group rates. We can host parties, rushes, jdbk team building and more! Shoes additional and not valid after 10pm Friday and Saturday. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with other offers or coupons. Ba% oar DIVEftECOMMENDS ■ William Shatner, Has Been In his latest spoken-word album, William Shatner boldly surpasses all expectations for both the spo ken-word genre and his musical career. Throw away the ideas of Shatner battling an unrealistic 6-foot lizard, or of spoken word being a domain solely for beatnik boys with bon gos and pretense. The album is produced, largely arranged and co-written by Ben Folds. It turns out that William Shatner has led a life rife with the full range of human emotion pull ing through pain comparable to the anguish you probably felt after watching his Priceline commer cials. With precise timing backed up by Folds’ blissful pop sensibil ity, Shatner has turned out a tale worth telling, and certainly worth listening to. ■ “Love Me If You Dare” (“Jeux D’Enfants”) True romance in American film is hard to come by. It is almost always watered down by the addition of a zany friend or terminally ill mother unneces sary and overused elements. The French, on the other hand, seem to get it right more fre quently. In “Love Me If You Dare,” director Yann Samuell appeals to the heart of romantic sensibility in his tale of Sophie and Julien and a game of dares begun as children. As the two get older and more susceptible to the mundane, the game and the fairy tale become madder, and their acts become increasingly dangerous and enthralling. The two embark on a roller coaster of love straight to hell, and it’s beautiful. ■ “A Walk in the Woods,” Bill Bryson This is the story of an overweight and overly cynical travel writer who decides to hike the 2160-mile Appalachian Trail. An even more overweight recov ering alcoholic serves as his travel companion. Throw in a rampant fear of hypothermia and bears parched from want of the blood of tubby bearded men, and you get the wit Bryson brings effortlessly into all his travel writing. His comedic spark is well bal anced with an honest admiration for the beauty of the trail and admonishment for the death of the American wilderness. ■ Tower of Power Huge in the early ’7os, Tower of Power is one of the most successful and most daunting R&B acts you’ll find. Most of their songs consist of praising a choice lady for being wonderful and marvelous, then throwing in a monster horn sec tion, soaring smooth vocals and hard rock guitar solos. To get the full experience, pick up 1974’s Urban Renewal, featur ing the song “There’s Only So Much Oil in the Ground.” Oh, yes, it is about the 1970s oil crisis. Funk about fossil fuels. Your soul vaccination awaits. Contact Margaret Hair at mhair@email.unc.edu.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Oct. 21, 2004, edition 1
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