By Thomas LeClair
Movie Critic
tj!l9l @psu.edu
Collateral ****
Dreamworks Studios in
association with Paramount
Pictures presents a film
directed by Michael Mann.
Starring Tom Cruise; Jamie
Foxx; Jada Pinkett-Smith;
and Bruce McGill. Written by
Stuart Beattie. Running time
119 minutes. Rated R for vio
lence and language.
Five years after his bio-pic
The Insider and three years
after Ali, Michael Mann
returns to the city of Los
Angeles to direct another dark
crime drama. This time, Tom
Cruise and Jamie Foxx lead
the way through the story and
give us explosive and impres
sive performances. Foxx
plays Max, an LA cab driver
who dreams of running a limo
service in the future. He only
has two fares the entire film.
International
culture to
International students liv
ing together gives well
rounded experience
By Kelly Nagurny
Staff Reporter
kxnl63@psu.edu
Over the past summer, I had a
unique opportunity to experi
ence both people and cultures
from literally all over the world. I
learned about the architecture
of Casablanca, ate knedlicky
(dumplings) from the Czech
Republic, and enjoyed the col
orful traditional silk dresses of
Uzbekistan.
My international experience
was both one-of-a-kind and
unforgettable and will remain
close to my heart for the rest of
my life. The best part is that I
Photo by Kelly Nagurny
Gregorits: “Everything in
very popular website with thou
sands of daily viewers.
Sex & Guts rocketed Gregorys’
profile in entertainment circles
and one person that took excep
tional notice was Lydia Lunch,
much to Gregorits pleasure.
Lunch, who is hailed by the
Boston Phoenix as “one of the 10
most influential performers of the
90’s”, began a stormy relation
ship with Gregorits that prompted
him to move out to L.A. with her
to continue Sex & Guts as well
as pursue other projects.
“I was obsessed with the work
of Lydia Lunch for years,” said
Gregorits. “I was a major fan of
her music and writing. Plus, I
thought, like many others, that
she was the most intimidating
and sexy woman alive. I left New
York in 2000, for Los Angeles, to
live with Lydia.”
Their relationship caused a
buzz in Hollywood and there was
T ON’S TOMFO 0 L E R Y 0 F 'CI XE M A
His first fare is a Los Angeles
prosecutor named Annie,
played by Jada Pinkett-Smith.
Foxx and Smith engage in
conversation throughout the
ride. Foxx drops her off at her
destination and Annie is then
unseen until the end of the
film. His second fare is
Vincent played by Tom
Cruise. Vincent is an anony
mous man. Dressed in a dark
gray suit, light gray shirt, sil
ver whiskers and hair, he liter
ally is a gray character.
Vincent offers Max an inter
esting proposition.
Five stops, five hundred dol
lars, and no questions asked.
When situations arise that
prevent this from being any
thing but a simple evening,
Cruise and Foxx take us into
the realm of emotional drama
with an edge of your seat cli
max.
Mann once again gives us a
remarkable film to sit back
and enjoy. About 3/4 of the
film’s time takes place inside
never had to leave Harrisburg.
A unique cultural center exists
in the heart of Harrisburg, and it
is called the International
House. I called the International
House (the IHouse, as resi
dents affectionately refer to it)
home over my summer break.
The IHouse is an apartment
style facility where students and
interns from around the world
can live while they study and
work in the area. Its mission
promises to bring people from
different countries and cultures
together as a community to
learn about and from each other
in order to promote mutual tol
erance and respect.
Tolerance and respect are only
two of the many things I gained
from my IHouse housemates,
who came from countries such
as Morocco, France, Czech
Republic, Ivory Coast,
Uzbekistan, South Korea and
states such as Kentucky and
New York. I also gained lifelong
friends from around the world.
The unique atmosphere at the
IHouse allows residents to
experience one another’s cul
tural differences, while they
learn to deal with and under
stand these differences. I
learned to understand the dif
ferences and, more importantly,
to appreciate them. The people
I lived with at the IHouse taught
me that our differences are
what make the world colorful
and interesting.
talk of a movie deal
“The producer of the Blair Witch
Project gave Lydia $lO,OOO to
finance my move to L.A., after
she pitched to him my romance
novel, then called Johnny Behind
the Deuce,” said Gregorits. “The
money was supposed to be used
to adapt the novel into a screen
play. I talked with Vincent Gallo
in a club one night not long after
I arrived, and he was fascinated
by the project, and offered to
executive produce the film, as
long as he got to play me.”
Gregorits reflected deeper of his
experience with Lydia in L.A.
“In L.A., I became a cocaine
addict and full blown alcoholic,”
said Gregorits. “I was tortured by
certain aspects of Lydia’s past,
and we fought every day, mainly
because of my drinking and
inability to stop doing cocaine.
Lydia and I would binge for a day
and a half, but she’d pass out
the taxi, yet Mann still found
angles and positions for the
camera to give a more open
feeling to the car. In the parts
that were shot outside the
cab, Mann used a handheld
camera to give the audience
a feeling that they were right
in the middle of the action.
Much like Heat, the other
Los Angeles crime drama
directed by Mann, Los
Angeles itself became a char
acter providing more than just
a location, but an aid to create
the mood changes with the
story. Also as seen in Heat,
the film allows the dialogue to
tell the story and revolves
around conversations.
Cruise still proves he is an A
list actor. He has the ability to
make you despise him, but
yet you want to see him suc
ceed too. Foxx steals the film
from Cruise, however. His
performance proves that it’s
possible for comedians to
take on dramatic roles. This
was his best performance to
House brings
Harrisburg
Additionally, the house pro
vides a comforting atmosphere
to help residents adjust to the
culture shock that many of them
experience upon arriving. The
house’s manager and resident
assistant are always available
for help, advice or just someone
to talk to.
The presence of the
International House in this area
definitely helps to brighten the
future of the Harrisburg, which
is not renowned for its interna
tional and cultural flair. I believe
this small building on Chestnut
Street will make a big impact on
the area. Where else around
here can you live in a house
where one person is blasting
Turkish music, another is cook
ing Czech food, while a third is
telling stories in French?
The International House offers
many international programs,
and most of them are open to
the public. Programs include
dance nights, international din
ners prepared by IHouse resi
dents, international movie
nights, presentations by speak
ers from around the world and
the “Discover the World” series,
which focuses on a different
country each month.
In my short three months at
the IHouse, I attended a Latin
dance night, a Czech dinner, a
South Korean dinner, a presen
tation by a resident about
Morocco and another about
Uzbekistan. These were only a
eventually and I would keep
going. I saw Los Angeles as a
dark and dangerous place. I
wasn’t comfortable in the
Hollywood culture. If I hadn’t left
when I did, I’d have died.”
Gregorits briefly moved back to
Harrisburg to recover from the
relationship before settling in
Detroit, where he currently
resides and continues to create.
He talked about his writing style
and inspiration.
“My style is direct, punchy, and
experimental,” said Gregorits.
“When I’m writing prose, my goal
is to recreate the hell of the
moment, being trapped in the
moment. For example: being
stranded in a Greyhound
station. If I can truly articulate
what it is to spend 24 hours lost
in the middle of nowhere, on a
highway at night, with no money,
trying to get a ride back home,
then I've done my job. If I can
define the reality of going
Entertainment
date and Foxx was an
absolute pleasure to watch.
You understood how his mind
was working, and you can
relate to his predicaments.
Even though Smith’s role is
very minimal, she created the
tension and drama that Mann
wanted to convey.
This was more than just a
summer action flick. In a sum
mer where most films con
tained super heroes or gratu
itous death and destruction,
Collateral gives us more to
appreciate than stunts and
violence. This film had drama,
tension, and humor, and gives
hope to film lovers that intelli
gent films are still alive.
Look for Tom’s
nex review of Sky
Captain and the
Tomorrow in the
October 11 issue.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Nagurny
17 of the 25 students and interns staying at the International House stop their studies
and goings on to pose for a picture. Nagurny stayed at the house during her sum
mer internship in Harrisburg. International students living together allowed them to
experience several cultures under one roof.
fraction of the events offered by
the IHouse.
Since its opening in August of
2002, the IHouse has been
home to approximately 100 res
idents from more than 20 coun
tries. Many of the residents are
Penn State students either
interning in Harrisburg or
attending Penn State
Harrisburg.
The IHouse has a flexible
lease program that allows resi
dents to stay as little as one
week to as long as one year.
The facility, which is comprised
of both single and double units,
can accommodate approxi
mately 25 residents at one time.
Rent is comparable to other
downtown apartments. Linens,
life inspires me to write”
through divorce, or falling in love,
and do so in my own way, than I
can say that I’ve created some
thing original. Everything in life
inspires me to write; the good,
the bad, the ugly, and the beauti
ful.”
Gregorits still feels as emotion
ally isolated from the rest of the
as he did during the NO
FUTURE days. I asked Gene
where he fits in with the rest of
the world.
“I don’t, in any way,” said
Gregorits. “I can’t drive and don’t
pay taxes. I am a lousy employ
ee. I’m not lazy, or a slacker, but
I am aberrant, and this limits my
options severely. I’m a reflection
of the worst qualities in people,
and my life has been about trying
to balance my obsessions with
my day to day survival. My con
cerns are not the concerns of the
average man in the street,
beyond food and shelter.”
World of
Photo courtsey of Yahoo Images
pots and pans, utensils, local
phone service and cable televi
sion are all provided in the cost
of rent. Essentially, a resident
can arrive with little more than
clothes and feel right at home.
Comprised of four separate
buildings on the corner of
Chestnut and Third Streets, the
house includes a building called
the “Art Suites” with colorful and
artistic decor. The IHouse is
owned and operated by the
Harristown Development
Corporation.
This fall, construction will
begin on a major expansion of
the IHouse that will nearly triple
the house’s occupancy. In addi
tion to the residential aspect of
the construction, a new restau
Photo courtsey of
Gregorits’ final reflection was
about the labels he has always
rebelled against. I asked him to
associate his work with a particu
lar genre.
“I still haven’t figured that out
yet,” said Gregorits. “If you want
to force a cliche, I guess it would
The Capital Times
rant, a pastry shop and a meat
shop will also be built. Food in
the restaurant and stores will be
prepared by students in
Harrisburg Area Community
College’s culinary program.
The new construction should
help to create a new district with
cultural flair in the downtown.
Other International Houses
exist around the world in cities
such as Tokyo, Washington
D.C., Syndey, Paris, New York
and London. The International
House Harrisburg is located at
318 Chestnut Street in
Harrisburg. For more informa
tion on the International
House,isit www.ihousehbg.org
or call (717) 255-1095.
be post-noir, post-gonzo, post
beatnik, and post-punk. I’m the
son of all the fathers who raised
me through their own art. I learn
from the masters.”
You can check out Gene
Gregorits in all his glory on the
Sex & Guts website,
sexandgutsmagazine.com.