6
thursday, april 24,2008
MOVIE REVIEWS.
JOE STRUMMER: THE FUTURE
IS UNWRITTEN
The opening moments of
*Joe Strummer: The Future is
Unwritten" show an image of
The Clash frontman in the stu
dio. headphones on, waiting for
his cue.
In a voiceover, a producer asks
Strummer what title he would like
to haw presented with his name,
to which he replies: Td like you
to write ‘Punk Rock Warlord.”
In this touching and intrigu
ing documentary, director
Julien Temple looks at the life
of the voice behind hits such as
“Rock the Casbah" and “London
Calling."
The film itself is like a compila-
BABY MAMA
Those going into “Baby Mama
expecting the acerbic-yet-juvenile
Tina Fey wit of “30 Rock"'s Liz
Lemon should look elsewhere.
As an uptight careerwoman who
can't get pregnant. Fey ditches
the sense of humor and goes for
slightly caring and shrill, to vary
ing degrees of success.
Amy Poehler plays the lower
class surrogate Fey hires to carry
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tion tape, layering archival foot
age of The Clash with recordings
of Strummer's BBC radio show
and fireside interviews with fam
ily, friends and sundry celebrities.
The soundtrack incorporates a
smorgasbord of musical styles,
drawing from Strummer’s radio
picks and popular tunes from his
heyday.
And although much of the
film's two hours focuses on The
Clash. Temple also gives air
time to Strummer’s other musi
cal projects. The 101‘ers and the
Mescaleros.
Though a fid long at times. “The
Future is Unwritten' is packed
with rock-and-roll and memo
ries even the uninitiated will find
enriching.
■Catherine Williams
her baby and is obviously sup
posed to be the funny one here,
but instead just comes off as grat
ingly dumb.
Her last-minute redemption is
completely implausible to those
w ith any amount of incredulity,
and both characters come off as
unsympathetic and unbelievable.
Peppered with laughs, the script
is hit-or-miss, but the story goes in
a surprising direction.
Unfortunately, the ending is too
convenient and negates the interest-
Diversions
ing turns the story was taking.
What was supposed to be the
funny-yet-affective vehicle to cata
pult Tina Fey to mainstream star
dom is instead a subpar movie that
would have gone straight to DVD
had it starred anyone else.
-Rachael Oehring
88 MINUTES
itCrCrCrCt
A! Pacino was once a guaran
tee for at least a good flick. “88
Minutes” is a sure indicator that
times have changed.
The film tells the tale of a foren
sic psychologist who is being black
mailed and hunted by a murderer
he put on death row years ago.
1 wouldn't have gotten my hopes
up for this film if it weren’t for the
presence of Pacino.
I should have noticed that the
film’s writer has also penned such
gems as “2 Fast 2 Furious" and
“Hollow Man II.”
The script is a stumbling mess.
It tries to tie moments of the film
together with confusing and use
less plot progression, but then the
“high points" of the story are even
worse.
And the supporting cast just
plunges this movie further down
the drain.
Leelee Sobieski is, of course, ter
rible as a creepy grad student.
But Alicia Witt outstinks even
Sobieski with the worst performance
so far of the year, as Pacino's assistant
who lacks any coherent motivation
and is just painful to watch.
Bad script. Bad acting. And
Pacino really needs a comb - his
hair is just out of control.
-David Bemgartt
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MUSIC REVIEWS
BOMBADIL
A BUZZ, A BUZZ
LYWCAIFOU
Call it snobbery; but I wouldn't
consider tales of British anchor
esses or archaic deciphers told
through the likes of a minor J.R.R.
Tolkien character my cup of tea.
But perhaps it is the eloquence
with which Bombadil has woven
similar accounts that has sweet
ened my bitter, preconceived ket
tle of notions that songs of these
sorts are somehow uninspired.
DAVID KARSTEN DANIELS
FEAR OF FLYING
FOIK/ROCK
★ ★★★☆
It might take a while for it to
take hold fully, but there is a trium
phant feel to Fear of Flying, the lat
est from David Karsten Daniels.
As horns and soaring guitars
catapult Daniels’ vocals, the record
takes on a palpable urgency that
gets at the heart of its force.
It is a different reaction than
Daniel's gorgeous 2007 entry.
Sharj) Teeth , inspired.
The reaction isn't as immedi
ate, but when the outpouring of
emotion breaks the levee of your
heart and comes rushing forth, it's
unstoppable.
No one would question his quality
of songwriting, but somehow the fact
that it isn't as central as on Sharj)
Teeth makes the gems of Daniels' pen
that much more affecting.
Even though the path ahead
might be perilous, it's totally worth
the ride.
-Jamie Williams
Even a narrative about a heart
broken sap who’s resorted to cut
ting himself (“Johnny”) sounds
toe-tappingly magnificent on A
Buz:. A Buss.
The effect to which elegies of
loss and marching bar songs are
dispersed amongst frank rock is
insurmountable.
Each one is delivered in a folk
gusto that makes Bombadil s sound
as unduplicablc as does the conflu
ence of classically trained piano and
baroque-infused instrumentation
of the rest of the group.
-Berm Wineka
THE PNEUROTICS
FORTY
ROCK
ickicir.:
Asa band known as much for the
neighborliness of its members as for
its actual music, it's sometimes easy
to forget how good The Pneurotics
really are. Then comes Forty to act
as a bold-faced reminder.
Rich McLaughlin’s well-worn
vocals and meaty guitar —with well
placed harmonies from his wife.
Mimi are more than enough to
hold up. And in the instrumental
“Song For Grace," we sec in the sub
dued finger-picking of an extended
acoustic solo, more than just a
friendly neighborhood rock band.
Contentment is rare in rock
music, but from The Pneurotics, it
makes sense. And it’s refreshing.
-Bryan Reed
TRIPP
GOOD BOY CHARM
ROCK
A A A A A
W W W)4U
Campus favorite Tripp confirms
its talent with Good Boy Charm.
With dynamic energy from start
to finish, this carefree album certain
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TICKETS I 919-843.3333
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ly will start the summer off right
Sharp guitar solos blend with Alex
Wilkins’ laid-back vocals. A lack of
ballads leaves emotion that might
normally be somber with an optimis
tically upbeat presentation, making
even the most heartbreaking rela
tionship situation seem light.
The LP's universality offers plen
ty of fun but few surprises.
-Melissa Brown
AMERICAN PRINCES
OTHER PEOPLE
ROCK
irkicCrk
Other Peojde by American Princes
is merely adequate. Some of its best
moments might be called hypnotic,
but there’s nothing extraordinary.
The group's talent is evident and
the tunes are relatively enjoyable,
but elements warranting instant
recommendation and heartfelt
approval are absent.
It simply yields supporters where
finer records gamer activists.
Other Peojrle is perfectly llstenablc
but keeps the ear pining for some
thing worth going to battle for.
-Edwin Amaudin
TICKLEY FEATHER
TICKLEY FEATHER
EXPERIMENTAUPOP
ickir£rk
When taken as a whole, it’s obvi
ous that Annie Sachs, aka Tickley
Feather, Is at her best playing short,
as she does for the majority ofTiddey
Feather’s ilebut
The 20 morsels of 10-fi pop
thrive on charming melodies that
were built for small samplings.
But Sachs has collected too many
tracks to form a cohesive whole, so
Tickley Feather is only fun when
taken one bit at a time.
-Jordan iMwrence