T 0 N ’
By Thomas LeClair
Movie Critic
tj!l9l @psu.edu
Sky Captain and the World of
Tomorrow
Paramount Pictures presents a
film written and directed by Kerry
Conran. Starring Jude Law,
Gwyneth Paltrow, and Angelina
Jolie. Running time 107 minutes.
Rated PG for violence and brief
language.
This film is a perfect representa
tion of the best and the worst cin
ema has to offer. Using advance
ments in audio and visual effects,
this film has the best that you can
hear and see. However, even the
best effects do not make up for
the shortcomings of stories and
ideas. The film companies are
resorting to making prequels and
homages to films of the past.
The story is about Sky Captain
(Jude Law) and his global army
trying to solve the mystery of why
his base and cities all over the
world are under attack from giant
robots sent by a German named
Dr. Totenkopf from his secret
base in the middle of the Pacific
Ocean. Wanting the exclusive
story, a reporter named Polly
Regency brings a cappella to PSH
Almost all a cappella
sounds pretty good with
the acoustics of the gallery
lounge
By Sharon Furfaro
Assistant Editor
srfl7l @ psu.edu
Toes were tapping and hands
were clapping in the Gallery
Lounge, Olmstead, as Regency
sang favorites from Motown to
Pop. On October sth, from 12
noon to Ip.m., the five man a
cappella vocal group from
Baltimore, Maryland wowed the
crowd with their humor and vocal
ability.
“You know you make me wanna
. . .” Regency would sing, nice
and slow.
“SHOUT!" yelled approximately
50 students and faculty in reply.
“Did I mention that we have
Kool Aid and cookies in the
back?” Dewayne McNeill, lead
singer, asked the crowd, com
pletely changing the subject mid
G e t
Den
By Maruja Rosario
Copy Editor
mxr3oo@psu.edu
Once a year, the Shire of Mount
Hope prepares its streets for the
arrival of the most prestigious
visitor the Shire has the pleasure
to entertain. Merchants bark final
Renaissance Faire actors joust in front of an adoring
crowd. Dauls like this are frequent scenery at the
Renaissance Faire.
S TOMFOOLERY OF CINEMA
Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) fol
lows the Sky Captain wherever
he goes. Angelina Jolie plays
Frankie, a leather clad British
commander with an eye patch,
who looks more like a one-eyed
dominatrix than a stern British
commander. She revs her men
and the audience when she
says, “Release the Amphibious
Squadron!”
The film attempted to be on the
epic scale with its production
design, but it fails because of
one vital point. Shot in front of a
blue screen, the actors and visu
al effects are blended throughout
the film. The problem lies with
the fact that the actors were also
shot in a sepia tone. It was
meant to pay more homage to
the films of the forties, but when
sepia is mixed with the blue
screen it caused the actors to
look digitalized. Instead of the
epic feeling the film wanted to
achieve, it comes off more like a
Pixar animated film. Besides the
visual problem, the continuity
was astronomical. Have you ever
been in New York City when it
snowed during the day and then
thunderstormed that night?
The dialogue in this film is
awful. Clocking in under two
hours, relatively short for a film,
Laughter ensued as Regency
continuously tricked its listeners
into thinking they would finally
sing The Isley Brothers’ classic
hit, “Shout,” which they saved for
the end of the show.
They sang more than “do wop,”
“Mostly we
only rely on
our voices.”
-Dewayne McNeill
they sang everything from swing
to country. Enthusiastically line
dancing and hee-hawing,
Regency’s “Achy Breaky Heart”
was much funnier than Billy Ray
Cyrus’s original version. The
audience was invited to join the
action with dancing and singing
along to such favorites as “Under
7
s
orders to their staff, entertainers
practice their acts one last time,
and all upon the Shire warm up
their voices and their hearts as
they wait in anticipation for the
arrival of Elizabeth Regina
Glorianna, Queen of England,
Ireland, and the new world settle
ment of Jamestown, Va.
it repeats lines such as “Good
boy, Dex,” or “I only have two
[camera] shots left.” There were
so many opportunities to develop
better conversations but did not
happen. Also, Sky Captain and
Perkins are in locations that one
can only dream about and she
ends up using her last two shots
on Sky Captain.
Keep in mind that nothing bad
has been said about the visual
effects. They are impressive and
Oscar caliber - especially with
Dr. Totenkopf. He is composed of
stock footage and old sound
recordings of none other than
Laurence Olivier. Olivier has
been dead since 1989 and this is
a stunning tribute to one of the
greatest actors of cinema. This
was only a minor visual; it would
have been a pleasure to see him
throughout the film. The chases
and robotic designs were excel
lent as well, but not even Sir
Olivier could save this film.
Look for Tom’s
next review of
Ladder 49 in the
October 25 issue.
the Boardwalk” and “Chain
Gang.”
The group invited three ladies to
join them in song. “Ladies, I want
you all to have attitude,” McNeill
said. Brooke Messmer,
Humanities major, immediately
jumped up. “I can tell this one
has got the ‘tude,” McNeill said.
Two other volunteers joined
Messmer to sing and dance
along with the group. Bouncing
along to “Proud Mary,” every time
Regency sang “big wheel keep
on turning,” the ladies’ arms went
around in circles.
Messmer said she had learned
of the event by the Penn State
Harrisburg Student Handbook,
which is free to students at the
beginning of each semester. She
came because she loves music,
and also sings. “Regency was
great. They weren’t just about
singing, they also included the
audience and danced,” she said.
“I had so much fun up there.”
Regency also gave another
individual a chance to share the
r& e to
nee Fa
As the gates open and the Shire
is rushed by the thousands of
people who want to attend the
annual festival, I must pause to
tell you that the scene I just
described is not a work of fiction.
Instead, it is a typical day work
ing at the Pennsylvania
Renaissance Faire.
The Pennsylvania Renaissance
Faire started in 1980 as nothing
more than a weekend jousting
event held in a parking lot. The
Faire has since outgrown the
parking lot and has become one
of the top ten renaissance faires
nationwide and the longest, run
ning for eleven weekends and
earning itself the nickname of the
“Forever Faire.”
The Faire boasts of over 100
artisans, 20 different food ven
dors, and 80 unique shows.
However the stage is not the only
place where one will be enter
tained. Walking among the
crowd at all times are actors who
thrive on finding an unsuspecting
patron and making them the star
of an impromptu show.
Every season features an issue
that Queen Elizabeth needs to
Entertainment
Photo courtesy of Yahoo images
spotlight. After much coercing,
JoVon Hill, Communications
major, sang “Amazing Grace,” to
the thunderous applause of the
crowd. Regency also cheered
and said that they were touched.
“I was nervous, my voice was
shaking,” Hill said. He likes many
styles of music, and appreciates
a cappella because “it shows the
real voice.”
The men of Regency have
known each other since youth.
“We’ve been doing this a long
time, about twenty-five years,”
McNeill said. “We grew up in
Maryland, in the Inner Harbor
area ... in the projects.”
The group learned by singing
everyday. McNeill said it seemed
like he did not see a cappella
groups anymore, and he wanted
to keep the music style alive.
“Sometimes we throw in musical
accompaniment - a little some
thing something, include the DJ
a little bit,” he said, “but mostly
we only rely on our voices.”
A Student Activities Grant made
the
i r e
deal with while attending the fes
tivities. This year, her cousin,
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland,
has been exiled from her country
and has come to England seek
ing her cousin’s mercy and her
crown. Elizabeth, not wanting to
disrupt the merriment of the festi
val, challenges Mary to a human
chess match, which turns out to
be not as timid as she would
have liked it. In the end, it is off to
the final joust where the Duke of
Norfolk has a few surprises for
Elizabeth, including a cannon.
The Faire is unlike any amuse
ment park in the area. The Faire
does away with almost every
thing from the modern world that
it can. Shielded behind its walls,
a patron will not see a television,
radio, computer, or automobile
the whole time they are upon the
Shire. Instead, they can see the
magic of a glassblower making
glass, Shakespeare giving les
sons on wooing, and pirates
teasing patrons and earning their
keep through their rowdy pirate
auction. It is a wonderful escape
from the reality of life, a time cap-
Photo by Dan Berger
this concert available. Lois
Cochran , staff assistant in the
Office of Student Activities, was
responsible for booking
Regency.
Regency has won Entertainer of
the Year on the college market
Photo courtesy of
The Faire ain’t over tili the fat lady sings. Renaissance
Faire Queen sings for the crowd at Saturday’s perform
ance.
sule journey back to merry olde
England and much simpler
times.
Located just off the
Lebanon/Lancaster Turnpike exit,
the Pennsylvania Renaissance
Faire runs until October 24th.
The Capital Times
many times, has done national
commercials, and won the New
York Regionals in 1993. They
have not competed in several
years and have instead devoted
their time to campus performanc
es.
Tickets are $23.95, parking is
free, and the festivities begin at
10:00 a.m. and end at 6:30 p.m.
For more information or direc
tions, check out the website at
http://www.parenfaire.com.