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+.
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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.