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6 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2005 Nothing but funny in ‘Just Friends’ BY BLAIR RAYNOR STAFF WRITER It’s safe to say that Ryan Reynolds has drifted a long way from his early party-animal per sona to bigger and better comedic parts. Sure, he will always be infambus for his role in “Van Wilder,” but now he’s traded his college degree for a fat suit in the holiday flick “Just Friends.” Also starring Amy Smart (“Road Trip”) and Anna Faris (“Scary Movie”), this film has comedy writ ten all over it. The movie starts out in Trenton, N. J., on graduation night for the local high school. Things are looking up for the overweight senior Chris Brander (Reynolds) because his best friend is the oh-so-popular Jamie Palamino (Smart). Brander decides to take the plunge and ask her to be more than “just friends.” Brander’s attempt backfires, but fear not. Ten years pass, and Brander’s frame of mind changes, as well as his enormous physical frame. BEEF FROM PAGE 5 “I don’t really have any person al conflict with MC Plus+, and I secretly respect him and kind of like his work,” Monzy says. “It was kind of a career move, and I think MC Plus+ would agree.” The beef has indeed brought attention to nerdcore, as a Wired news article spotlighted the beef. “Somehow when you got beef, people get interested,” says MC Plus+. \CCu6 Nova Thrift Shop Clothing, Books & Music, St'JK- House & Kitchen, Gifts ■ * ■''T ► Buy one item of clothing, get | (V p f one item of equal or lesser value FREE with this ad! *l k One coupon per customer - $lO max value. Tues-Fri ioam-6pm V —— ' Sat 10 am-4 pm Club Nova promotes and provides opportunities for (919) 967-6985 individuals with mental illness to lead meaningful and 103 C West Main St., Carrboro productive lives of their choice in the community. (Downtown Carrboro behind Wendy's) All donations are tax-deductible. www.clubnovashop.org Need break? WeVe got yew covered. End of Semester Exam Specials PeeembirlQMT^ Top of lewior and Rams Head ★ Open at 7am during exams AlplWC j ; „ ★ iOL will have special hours Saturdays ★Purchase a base! sandwich and get a free cookie 12/10 and 12/17 open 7am to 2pm after gp m ★ Exam goodies at the exits . ..... I) . •„ , •|. e'’ i. , price coffee drinks and hot chocolate after Bom ★ '' '■ 12/10 and 12/17 open 7am to 2 pm and spm to Bpm The End Zone Maltl,trert 1 ★254 short coffee at Ram Cafe ★ Late Night Pizza Specials Ram Cafe °P en at 7am From Bpm to 11pm • ' • $7.99 for 2 topping 14 inch pizza ★Buy 1 get 1 Free Good 12/10-12/fl6 Burger King and Chick-fil-a Breakfast Sandwich 7am-10:30am RftlflS tjfiftd Market +99i double cheeseburgers at Burger King ★ Moving-Out Cleaning Package All the cleaning supplies you need to make your room 4S£M!m%\ sparkle before the semester ends - $9.99 - Carolina DINING SERVICES He gains anew perspective on life out in Los Angeles where he loses more than 100 pounds and becomes a producer for a larger than-life record empire. He’s got his good looks and charismatic personality —as well as former client Samantha James (Faris), a psychotic who is com pletely enamored with him to keep him on his toes. But things take a turn for the worst when he’s forced to go back to Jersey and confront his past with Palamino. That is where the flick gets interesting because James who should come with her own leash and a Taser gun for protection is tagging along to stir up trouble. Brander not only realizes he’s returned to his version of hell, but he also sees that not much has changed in his hometown since he’s been gone. He runs into Palamino at the local bar and tries to win her affec tion with his Rico Suave appeal. But is that what Palamino wants? It’s possible that the ploy will leave Brander in the “friend zone,” On how the beef affects nerd core, Plus+ said, “At this point, what nerdcore is today, it’s cer tainly helping us out.” Of course, not everyone enjoys the press surrounding the beef. MC Frontalot says of Monzy and Plus+’s shenanigans: “I don’t think it’s funny to parody con flicts where people get murdered. I don’t want to make hilarious jokes about it.” Contact the E Editor at artsdesk @unc.edu. Diversions MOVIE EVIEW 'JUST FRIENDS' irbk especially when Dusty (Chris Klein) —another poor sap from high school who was obsessed with Palamino comes into the mix and gives Brander that com petitive edge. Apart from the obvious romantic comedy recipe in this flick, direc NERDCORE FROM PAGE 5 Still, the definition of nerdcore remains blurry. MC Hawking compares it to the Supreme Court ruling on pornog raphy, saying, “I know it when I see it.” MC Plus+ maintains that it is strictly hip-hop music, while oth ers, such as MC Hawking who also raps in the nerdcore rap-metal outfit Dark Matter claim that the music is not limited solely to rap. “They Might Be Giants are like the kings of geek-outreach music,” says MC Frontalot, who names that band as a major influ ence. Most nerdcore artists are linked by similar lyrical topics, an ironic sense of humor and a do-it-your self production ethic. And despite the genre’s embrace of a 10-fi sound, some have dis missed it because of the home grown production, which they say drags the genre down. Coaxke, a producer and rapper for the Futuristic Sex Robotz, is one of them. “The production is awful,” says the group’s de facto leader. “A goal for me is to try to make the production as good as pos sible.” The relatively inexpensive cost of production has allowed many nerdcore artists to offer their music free on the Internet. MC Hawking, MC Lars, me chris and MC Frontalot all have CDs for sale, but they also offer tracks for free download. Others, such as MC Plus+, also have full length albums posted as free MP3s on Web sites. The issue of commercializing nerdcore is looming for its art tor Roger Kumble (“The Sweetest Thing,” “Cruel Intentions”) goes beyond the formula and captures a slapstick comedic appeal. Reynolds wows audiences with his humorous talent. It’s almost as if he was thinking, “OK, what would Jim Carrey do?” “How would Carrey react in this scene?” His act reels the audience in for a laugh with almost every line. Faris’ character might resemble ists. “It’s a little idealistic or maybe naive, because our audiences are probably the most used to or adept at pirating stuff off the Internet,” says Frontalot. “It’s this other model where you think, I’m cool, so you should kind of donate sl2 and here as your incentive gift is this CD. “It’s kind of like the PBS pledge drive model, and hopefully it works.” MC Hawking echoes a similar sentiment. “This stuff is hard work, so if people appreciate it, it’s nice to get some restitution for it,” he says. “(A Brief History of Rhyme’s) not doing 50 Cent friggin’ num bers, but for a small record label it’s doing pretty well,” says Hawking. Frontalot’s album, Nerdcore Rising, sold out its first pressing, and is now available on Frontalot’s Web site as well as on Amazon, com. Another nerdcore rapper is get ting widespread exposure on the cable networks. Me chris, from Libertyville, 111., is known for his appearances on Cartoon Network’s “Sealab 2021,” and “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.” He has been called the first nerd core superstar by several nerdcore rappers, and his “Revenge of the Nerd” tour has shown nerdcore’s commercial potential. “We had kids that went to see like 12 shows and kids that started to like follow us around the coun try,” says me chris. While nerdcore does not reject commercialism, some artists choose to stick to the free music route. “I don’t think lots of really true geek rap will ever be able to get widespread popularity,” says that of a rabid dog, but her perfor mance is top-notch. Her all-out craziness keeps viewers guessing how her character will somehow ruin the day. This is in no way a groundbreak ing comedic blockbuster, but if you want to liven up the holidays with a little Christmas cheer, start with “Just Friends” for a good laugh. Contact the AC}E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu. Monzy, noting that some of his lyrics have obscure references that make his music less accessible to a larger audience. “It hurts the artist if they think they could sell it,” says MC Plus+. “We don’t got that kind of a follow ing.” Even if nerdcore doesn’t have a huge following now, the scene is growing quickly. The Internet has made it possible for artists to network. Frontalot collaborates with DJs online over AOL Instant Messenger and uses sharing software to get his beats, while Plus+ and Monzy download their samples and beats. Web sites such as Songfight.org allow Internet musicians to com pete for bragging rights and to gain fans. “We gotta come together and see what we can do with this music scene,” says Plus+. Despite the genre’s reliance on humor and nerdy references, most of these up-and-coming nerdcore rappers see it as a legitimate sub category of hip-hop. “People approaching rap from a C.S. perspective may bring an interesting new insight to hip-hop,” says Monzy. “It’s nice to have a little diversity in hip-hop.” Contact the AC}E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu. STAR SYSTEM ★ POOR ★★ FAIR AAA good **** EXCELLENT ★ ★★★★ CLASSIC ElplaUgularUM THE QUICK speed reads for your entertainment needs MOVIES • 'JUST FRIENDS' The perfect movie to patch up an awkward friendship, page 6 ‘AEON FLUX' Sci-fi adaptation can't top original's splendor, page 7 'IN THE MIX’ Usher managers to clear out the theaters, page 9 ALBUMS 1 • DENGUE FEVER Asian psych-rock revivalists spread the fever, page 9 FORT MINOR Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda junks solo debut, page 9 CONCERTS 1 • ROGUE WAVE Indie darlings bring spicy set to Local 506 performance, page 7 GAMES 1 • DONKEY KONG The original 'King of Swing' stars in creative game, page 7 dive recommends [HORRORPOPS BRING IT ONf] The Horrorpops play a devilish ly fun mix of rockabilly and punk with some ska, surf, new-wave and ’6os pop tossed in for flavor. Bring It On! proves punk can be fun and (dare I say?) poppy without sacri ficing attitude. [THE BLACK ANGELS —THE BLACK ANGELS (EP)] The Black Angels sound like The Velvet Underground having illicit relations with The Doors. [THE GIRAFFES—THE GIRAFFES] If James Hetfield, Dick Dale and Sid Vicious had a jam session with the New York Dolls, The Giraffes would be the result: 10 tracks of killer garage-punk-surf-metal. Contact Bryan Reed at breed@email.unc.edu.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Dec. 8, 2005, edition 1
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