FEATURES
Photo by Kristy
The Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) held their Mid-Autumn Festival in the Quiet
Study area at the CUB on Oct. 9. The celebration included rite and music, reservation,
a knowledge contest, a lantern contest, a karaoke contest, food and dancing.
Your Horoscope
By Amanda Weaver
Capital Times Staff Writer
Libra (September 24-October
23): Keep your temper! Things
might develop that are not what
you planned. You need to keep
that in mind when you are mak
ing plans. Have a backup ready.
So, don’t lose your cool; it just
complicates matters and hurts
people you might not want to
hurt. Besides, after you’re done
throwing a temper tantrum, you
look very silly to people who
observed your moment of anger.
Scorpio (October 24-
November 22): Once you have
your mind set on something,
you cannot be steered from the
path. Your determination will
be helpful to you in academic or
career areas. Many are
impressed by your ability to set
goals and work hard to attain
them. Keep you sights high. It
will be quite an accomplish
ment if you reach your mark.
Sagittarius (November 23-
December 21): Use caution
when dealing with someone
who is in need of encourage
ment. You may see things in a
different light, but be tactful.
Don’t be quick to blurt out what
they might not be ready to hear.
It doesn’t hurt to pump someone
up who needs a little lift.
Capricorn (December 22-
January 20): Let it go!
Someone who says something
that offends you probably didn’t
mean to do so. Don’t hold a
grudge; it could upset a friend
ship. Is that really worth it?
Everyone says things without
thinking - not meaning to hurt
anyone’s feelings. Smile and let
it go.
Aquarius (January 21-February
19): Be careful to be a little more
appreciative to loved ones. You
have been under a lot of stress.
They understand, but it isn’t fair
to be sp hurtful so often. Try to
vent your frustration in other
ways besides taking it out on
them. Stress comes and goes and
you will always need support
from friends and family. Let
them know that you appreciate
their patience with you.
Pisces (February 20-March 20):
Things in your love life have not
exactly been smooth lately. They
will get better, just keep your eyes
and ears open. But be wary of fast
love. You don’t need your heart
broken again before it has healed.
Don’t be easily led into another
relationship. Be sure of what you
want, not of what feels good.
Aries (March 21- April 20): You
are the life of the party and
everyone enjoys you. The dare
devil that you are could be a mis
leading guise to a prospective
love interest. That person might
doubt your sincerity in a relation
ship because you so frequently
act like a court jester. Don’t give
people the wrong impression of
you. Be real more often.
Taurus (April 21-May 21): You
have been missing a friend that
you have lost touch with. Don’t
hesitate. Give that person a call.
They will probably be glad to
hear from you, and have
undoubtedly missed your
friendship. It warms the heart
to rekindle a friendship.
Gemini (May 22-June 21):
You are a very communicative
kind of person. You can easily
tell others what you are think
ing and feeling. That is an
admirable asset, but don’t for
get to talk with those who care
about you the most. Open up
to your loved ones; they need
it more than you do.
Cancer (June 22-July 22):
You can be changeable and
moody and that can mislead
others. Try to be more con
stant with friends. It is frus
trating to them when they
don’t know what kind of
mood you are in when they
are with you.
Leo (July 23-August 22):
Things have brightened up for
you a bit. You have been able
to deal with a situation that
had been plaguing you for
months. Keep yourself on the
positive side. You have spent
quite a bit of time down in the
dumps. Steer clear of situa
tions that drag you back
down.
Virgo (August 23- September
23): You have been overcriti
cal and harsh lately. Ease up a
little; it takes a lot more ener
gy to be miserable than it does
to remain civil to others.
Things have been stressful for
you lately, but the load will
lighten soon. So, put on a
smile and look forward to
kicking back and relaxing.
“Three Kings”
Blow You Away
Three Kings will be one of the
finest films to come out of 1999.
The movie, directed by David O.
Russell, treads into difficult film
territory. The Gulf War
Generation now has their
Apocalypse Now.
The story seems simple
enough. Four U.S. soldiers decide
to re-enter Iraq after the war has
ended because of a map that
locates stolen Kuwaiti gold. This,
by itself, had the makings for a
good action movie. Fortunately, it
proved to be much more than that.
Russell should be applauded
for creating a work of art that
binds the generic action fare with
an artistic element.
Of course, the U.S. boys get
involved in much more than they
bargained for, and violent con
frontations ensue. However,
they also come upon many moral
and ethical questions about
themselves, their supposed
enemy, and the country they are
fighting for.
The cast members and their
acting are excellent. Archie
Gates is played by George
Clooney, who effectively shows
a strong but silent type of spe
cial-forces leader.
Ice Cube as Chief Elgin is
amazingly believable as a moral
blue-collar baggage handler /
weekend warrior.
Music video director Spike
Jonze plays the part of Conrad
Vig. His role could be labeled as
comic relief. It but combines his
crazy redneck role with an
insight into the innocence of the
Gulf War soldiers, specifically
that of the ill-prepared reservists.
The actor that stands out is
Mark Wahlberg. His portrayal of
Troy Barlow is excellent by
showing a young soldier who
enlisted as a way to provide more
money to his starting family.
One of Three Kings' strongest
moments is when Barlow is
“interrogated” by a member of
the elite Iraqi Republican Guard
(played well by Said Taghmaoui).
Barlow realizes that he is not
much different than the “aggres
sors.” Wahlberg handles the role
amazingly well.
Where the movie departs from
By Nicole Burkholder
and Daniel McClure
Capital Times Staff Writers
the typical Raiders of the Lost
Ark action style is in its shocking
black humor and eclectic sound
track. The humor is dark, but
never tasteless, and provides
quite a biting commentary on the
Gulf War.
The soundtrack itself is a
monumental achievement, that
ranges from 1991 pop hits (i.e.
Snap’s “The Power”) to Arabic
techno. The music always feels
appropriate for the scene, and
adds a strong artistic touch to the
movie. Three Kings has one of
the strongest soundtracks to
emerge in a long time.
The selection of songs is well
thought out. Each song has a pur
pose in the movie and it is evi
dent down to the choice of the
selected verses of each chosen
song.
In our opinion, music can
make or break a movie. It was
refreshing to see someone take
advantage of the power of a
soundtrack.
Don’t look to this soundtrack
for favorite Top 40 hits you can
bop along to in your car. The
music in Three Kings offers
much more than a catchy tune.
There really are not enough
words in the English language to
express what you will feel after
you see this movie.
If you remember the Gulf
War, you will appreciate the
details of the pop culture icons
and the feeling of the American
people that may have been for
gotten in this short time.
Russell and his ensemble cast
will blow you away with the
overall quality of Three Kings. It
will make you think hard about a
time, and a war, that made us
“proud to be an American.”
Will