Jeanine Noce, A & E Editor behrco!ls @ aol.com ink Etas’ Ms-Tm -TfeMl The Brazilian film will be shown in the McGarvey Commons on Tuesday at 7 p.m. by Breanna Bush contributing writer In a world where love seems so dis tant, a man and a woman find them selves brought together. Why do they remain together? Are they madly in love? Is their relationship one of con venience? These questions are at the heart of the Brazilian film, “Eu Tu Eles.” This film, set in surroundings not familiar to us, contains both hardships and love. Darlene, the main character, arrives to receive her mother’s blessing for her 2 year old child. Upon arriving, she finds that her mother has passed away. Her generous neighbor bears witness to what has happened and asks her to marry him, making his home her home. Darlene accepts, thus setting the scene for the film. Darlene’s new husband, Osias, puts her to work in the fields by day and as a housewife by night. What does Osias do? Pretty much nothing; he directs what is to be done and when it is to be done from his hammock. This love, if Darlene could call it love, is unbearable. The work isn’t as bad as not feeling loved. Darlene gives birth to her second child and realizes that her first-born could have a better life with his fa ther. She hesitantly delivers her son to him. Shortly after returning, she falls in love with Osias’ cousin by marriage. He moves into their house hold. Shortly thereafter she has an affair with him, leaving her with a child. Zezinho, the father of Darlene’s third child, is ecstatic when he hears the news. The baby is bom and raised in the house occupied by both men, one her husband and the other her lover. In our society, those living ar rangements are not usually seen, but there, it seemed like it was accepted. Years later as Darlene works in the field, she meets a young, attractive man named Ciro. Ciro is homeless and he accepts Darlene’s invitation for dinner and arrives at her home. Zezinho immediately refuses him, but Osias, as generous as he is, makes Ciro welcome. He surprisingly in vites him to stay. Zezinho believes that bringing a young man into the house is not wise, but Osias ignores him. What really happens when Ciro moves into the house of Osias? Could this be a life-altering move which will change everything? What will happen if one woman is wanted by all three men? “Me-You-Them ” will be shown at Behrend on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Reed 117. This film is sponsored by Mary Behrend Cultural, Student Activities Fund, School of Humanities, and Social Sciences. Movies | Video * .‘Panic Room’ * -‘K-Pax’ - ‘Clockstoppers ’ \ - ‘Original Sin ’ - ‘Death to 1 - ‘Life as a House 9 Smoochy 9 \ - ‘ Arachnid 9 l -‘Tape* \Release Date: 3/29 Black nominees make Oscar history by Jeanine Noce A & E Editor Penn State Behrend students and mil lions around the world Sunday as his tory was made at the 74th annual Acad emy Awards. Two of Hollywood’s fin est black actors took home the Oscars for best actor and best actress in a lead ing role. Denzel Washington and Halle Berry were the honored recipients. "This moment is so much bigger than me,” Berry said with tears welling in her eyes. Berry’s Oscar was for the racially pro voking movie “Monster’s Ball,” in which she plays a poor woman who falls in love with a racist prison guard. “This Oscar is for every nameless, faceless woman of color who now has a chance because this door has been opened,” Berry said through her joy ous tears. Washington, who won a supporting actor trophy in 1989 for “Glory” is the first black man to achieve the leading actor Oscar si nee Sidney Poitier in 1963. He won his Oscar for ‘Training Day,” in which he plays a corrupt veteran cop training a rookie cop. “A Beautiful Mind” was the big movie award winner of the night, cap turing four Oscars. It came away with the highest award. Best Picture of the Year. “A Beautiful Mind” was up against “Gosford Park,” “In the Bed room.” “Moulin Rouge,” and “The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.” Jennifer Connelly won the support ing actress Oscar for “A Beautiful Mind.” Ron Howard won an Oscar for directing this movie and the adapted screenplay Oscar was awarded to Akiva Goldsman for “A Beautiful Mind.” Whoopi Goldberg opened the spec tacular event held in the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, which is the Oscar’s ‘Blade ll’ by Daniel J. Stasiewski staff writer More than three years ago, a lesser-known comic book hero be came a cult phenomenon. With in credible swordplay and tons of ex ploding vampires, the “Spider-Man” spin-off, “Blade,” became the sleeper hit of the summer of 1998. It was only natural, then, for New Line Cinema to franchise the vam pire hunter flick. With a new, more experienced director and a returning screenwriter, “Blade II” tries to rec reate the sophisticated horror tone of the first film, while enhancing the electrifying action. When the action takes over, however, the sequel loses its bite. After rescuing his kidnapped and infected mentor, Whistler, (Kris Kristoferson) from the sinister vam pire nation. Blade (Wesley Snipes) is suddenly offered a truce. The vampire nation, facing extermination at the hands of a new breed of vam pire known as a Preacher, recruits Blade, Whistler, and the new weap ons technician Scud for a joint battle against this dangerous opponent. With the help of the nations “Blood Pack,” Blade must rid the under world of the new breed before the vampires are wiped out and the Preachers move onto human prey. “Blade II” had potential. The premise was solid enough, with the unlikely teaming of Blade with his new home, by imitating Nicole Kidman in “Moulin Rouge.” She descended from the ceiling in a daring sequined “Come and get me boys!,” Whoopi yelled in a sexy showgirl voice. She then opened with the usual monologue where she jokingly stated, “Security here is tighter than some of the faces,” after referencing Sept. 11. “Moulin Rouge,” which was a highly anticipated nominee after the Golden Globe Awards, won only two Oscars. Costume design and art direction were the only two awards given to the film in which the star of the movie, Nicole Kidman, left Kodak Theatre empty handed. “I would have bet on Nicole Kidman winning an award after wacthing her at the Golden Globes,” said Dawn Russell, majoring in education. “I can not be lieve that the media and newspaper pre dictions were wrong.” “The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring” cleaned up by winning one sixth of the Oscars. Visual effects, make-up, cinematography and music (score) were the categories that the movie dominated. Samuel L. Jackson presented “Mur der on a Sunday Morning” the docu mentary feature Oscar and also gave “Thoth” the documentary short subject Oscar. Jim Broadbent came away with the supporting actor Oscar for “Iris.” Sharon Stone and John Travolta pre sented the Best Foreign Language Film to Bosnia’s “No Man’s Land.” Before the song Oscar was awarded, the five nominees presented their pieces. Sting performed “Until” from “Kate & Leopold,” Enya sang “May it Be” from “Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring,” and Randy Newman played pi ano while John Goodman sang, “If I Didn’t Have You” from “Monster’s - sequel loses bite most hated foes. Even the first ac tion sequence increases the hope of a superior film. Thestoiyof“Bladell,” however, is ill fated. It doesn’t take long for the sequel to fall flat on its face with horror cliches, superfluous and tiresome action, and a plot that is only unpredictable because it takes such ridiculous twists. The film’s collapse first becomes ties in this awkward sequel is the un apparent when the focus of the initial necessary return of Whistler (whose hard-hitting fight scenes steers away suicide was implied in the first film). Blade. The Blood Pack and their first After a hot, but otherwise pointless fight with the Reapers goes on too rescue sequence Whistler meets his long. After watching the boring, replacement, Scud. The two are con- Blade-less shootouts the action se- stantly bickering and both do the job quences gradually become more mo- one could do. The only reason two notonous. The extremely intricate characters are employed is due to choreography usually associated with Scud’s absurd turn at the end, and the lone wolf, Blade, is exchanged for Whistlers tactless, and unfunny one tired group gunplay. Even when liners. Scud could easily do the job Blade returns, the action is overdone on his own, but someone must have to the point of lacking any real enter- thought the film would be disastrous tainment value. As the action becomes the chief element, the characters never have a chance to become anything more Preacher fodder. The irrelevant Blood Pack members, one-by-one fall prey to the monsters in hackneyed horror film fashion. But even the characters we are supposed to be Concerned with, including Blade, are bland and ineffectual. Blade’s lifeless romantic interest, played by Leonor Varela, is a charac ter that receives scene after scene of futile characterization atterhpts. Even if she is on the verge of being pum- Music * -Jay-Z & R. Kelly -Ruff Endz -Funkmaster Flex -Marc Anthony -Celine Dion ARTS & Friday ; March 29, 2002 Inc.” “There You’ll Be," from “Pearl Harbor” was performed by country music artist Faith Hill, and Paul McCartney sang, “Vanilla Sky,” the theme for the movie “Vanilla Sky." Af ter the entourage of performers, Randy Newman and John Goodman from “Monster’s Inc.” received the song Os- meled or killed, there is no caring for her character. By the end of the film it doesn’t even matter if Blade and her get any closure because nothing has been built up to conclude. Not one single moment in all of her screen time can jazz up Varela's in sipid role. Truly, one of the biggest difficul without Whistler. Look how that turned out. The film concludes in the same fashion as the original; with Blade doing his vampire hunting in another part of the world. Maybe that type of exciting conclusion will become a classic Blade franchise technique. Then again, if it requires making a third Blade film, we could probably do without any more dead vampires. ★ l/2 out of 4 1 ! DVD* J -‘K-Pax’ I - *Original Sin ’ J -‘Life as a House’ I -‘Star Trek: The I Next Generation -1 Season 1 ’ Hollywood awoke on Sunday while making history at the Oscars. Actress Halle Berry and actor Denzel Washington took the top awards and shattered race barriers. “Pearl Harbor” did not leave without an award. The movie received the sound editing Oscar. "Black Hawk Down” also won the sound Oscar along with film editing. Arthur Hiller received the Humani tarian Award. An honorary award and tribute went to Sidney Poitier, film maker and actor, which was a memo- Hot British import or export? Six urban friends struggle with life’s big issues such as love, friend ship, careers in “As If.” The show airs on UPN Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. by Megan McNamara staff writer UPN has just added a new sitcom, “As II" to its spring line-up. The show is a spin-off of the English version that is currently playing in the U.K. The director, producer and main character remain the same from the original se ries, while the rest of the cast is from the U.S. The storyline is also the same for both shows. An ensemble of six urban friends deals with the trials and tribulations of growing up. The main character is Sooz, an in secure, artistic, sarcastic college stu dent who is decorated with colored dread locks, tattoos and multiple body piercings. Sooz, played by British native Emily Corrie, has evolved from an introverted homely-looking gal in the English version to a self- pro claimed, "hard, tongue- pierced freak of nature,” in the American one. Sooz’s love interest is played by 19- year-old coffee bar attendant, Rob. He is the proverbial "bad boy” of the bunch and has just broken up with fel low group member, Sasha. Sasha, who has just started her college ca reer, is motivated to become a profes sional success and doesn’t care about who or what she hurts on her way up. Nfcki, Sasha’s best friend, loves to get attention by flirting with men. She is unexpectedly intelligent and often reminds her friends, “Don’t confuse love and lust. I.ust is a lot easier.” The Behrend Beacon rable part of the show. Poitier was one of the few black actors to star in films during a time of racial inequality in Hol lywood. A tantalizing tribute to visual effects - including people flying from the ceil ing and jumping on trampolines - was an exotic highlight of the evening. Sev eral of the year’s best films, such as "Moulin Rouge” were showcased. The animated feature film was pre sented to “Shrek” and the short film animated was awarded to “For the Birds.” ‘The Accountant” received the short film live action Oscar. Kevin Spacey led a tribute for every American hero from Sept. 11. All 3,500 audience members in Kodak Theatre rose for a moment of silence. Spacey went on to say how this tribute has been for actors who have died in the past year; however, 2001 was drastically different, so the moment of silence was for ev erybody. A video tribute with clips of ail actors and actresses who have died during the past year, such as music re cording artist Aaliyah, was then shown. Robert Redford received the presti gious Lifetime Achievement Honorary Oscar. This tribute included more than 20 clips of movies he has directed and starred in. “Ordinary People" and ‘The Sting” were just two of the highly ac claimed film's where he performed. “The Oscars show what movies are the best. It is as simple as that,” said Josh Crawford, majoring in general business, about the Oscars. “I need to see “A Beautiful Mind” because it won the most awards." “It’s time to start mud-slinging for number 75,” is how Whoopi ended the outrageous Oscar evening. For more information on your favorite movie or Hollywood star go to www.oscar.com. Sooz is not your typical girly-girl; and finds it difficult to gab with other j females. She spends most of her time ; with her two best guy friends, Alex ! and Jamie. Jamie never hesitates to; say exactly what is on his mind and is | on an unending hunt to find the per- • feet girl, but only because he is per- \ petually homy. The most upbeat of I the group, Alex, is smart and friendly j and can usually be found counseling I one of his friends. > “As If’ is a mix of “Dawson’s ; Creek” and “The Real World” in a cut and paste format. The show is struc tured with the characters going about their daily lives to the tune of alterna tive techno music (if there is such a thing). Sooz often cuts into the ac tion with replays of either earlier parts of the day or confessional-like scenes where she tells us how she’s feeling. In one cut she seems like a well put together twenty-something who knows exactly what she wants and in the very next she is troubled, per plexed and unable to properly verbal ize any of her thoughts. In any case, this show should be in teresting to watch as it develops with the help of writer John Collier, who is best know for his work with “The Simpsons.” Tune in to UPN on Tues day nights at 9 p.m. to decide for your self whether or not “As If’ is the hot test British import or soon-to-be American export. Page 9
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