THE CAPITAL TIMES
The Ringer
JOHNNY XECOXVILLE
*****llllll
The Details: Fox Searchlight
Pictures presents a film staring
Johnny Knoxville and Brian Cox,
written by Ricky Blitt and directed
by Barry W. Blaustein. The film has
a running time of 94 minutes and
is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual
humor, language and some drug
references.
The Low Down: In order to help a
friend out of a bad situation Steve
Barker (Johnny Knoxville) is forced
into rigging the Special Olympics.
The Dirty: Even though this film
sounds like a rip off of a South
Park episode it isn't. Two words:
fun... and um, yeah... Make that
one word. Although this film is no
contender for any type of award, it
is still a fun film.
Johnny Knoxville does a great job
of keeping the laughs coming, not
to mention the great supporting cast
What we have here is the classic
2006
Golden Globes
By BRANDON SARZYNSKI
Staff Reporter
BSSI77r@PSU EDU
Every year, as a pit stop to the
Oscars and the Emmys, there is an
award show, hosted by the Hollywood
Foreign Press Association, known as
the Golden Globes.
The Golden Globes are viewed
by most as a predicition of what
will happen in March when the
Academy Awards are held in
Hollywood, Cali.
On Jan. 16, the 63rd annual
Golden Globe awards were held in
Hollywood California, with more
than 45 top stars presenting the
awards. The awards are not only
awarded to outstanding films, but
also television programs.
In the world of film, Philip
Seymour Hoffman won Best
Actor in a Drama for Capote,
while Felicity Huffman won
Best Actress in a Drama for
Transamerica. Joaquin Phoenix
and Reese Witherspoon walked
away with Best Actor and
Actress for Walk the Line, which
also won Best Picture, Musical
or Comedy.
For Best Supporting Actor and
Actress in a Supporting Role the
awards were given to George Clooney
for Syriana and Rachel Weisz for
The Constant Gardener. Brokehack
Mountain, the controversial film
about two homosexual cowboys,
received awards for Best Dramatic
Picture, Best Director ( Ang Lee),
Best Screenplay (Larry McMurtry
and Diana Ossana), and Best Original
Song (A Love That Will Never Grow
Old, by Gustavo Santaolalla and
Bernie Taupin).
In television, Lost walked away
with Best Dramatic Television
Series while Desperate Housewives
wound up with Best Comedy Series.
Steve Carell won Best Actor in a
Comedy Series for The Office, and
Best Actress went to Mary-Louise
Parker for Weeds.
Geena Davis received Best
Performance by an Actress in a
Dramatic Series for Commander
in Chief, and Hugh Laurie received
Best Actor for House, M.D.
The awards listed herre are just a
few of the awards presented, for a
complete listing of annual awards,
visit http://www.hfpa.org.
arz s *elm t iru is
comedy formula with some new
situation specific jokes.
This is a film that shows Special
Olympic athletes in a positive light
Not to mention as great comedians
themselves.
I think this is the movie's strong
point. It gives us an insight into the
lives of the physically and mentally
challenged, and it shows us this in
such a way that it may actually help
break down some walls for people
in real life. Letting us all know that
regardless of handicap we are all
just people.
Some of the film does drag a bit in
places, especially at the beginning
of the film. But once you arrive at
the meat and potatoes, the film sails
along smoothly.
The film also has some issues with
storyline. It does seem to follow the
formula set down by just about any
Adam Sandler movie.
Guy wants to help a friend or loved
one, guy does something out of the
ordinary to help the situation, guy
falls in love with girl, guy saves the
day, gets the girl, and all is happy.
In other words, it's very predictable,
but still enjoyable.
I recommend seeing this film;
either in the theater or at home, on
your couch, when it comes out on
DVD. Nothing ground breaking
here, just a little bit of fun humor
Official film website: www2.
foxsearchlight.com/theringer
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Brandon Sarzynski for the Capital Times
January 24, 2006
Flightplan
A claustrophobic, Hitchcockian thriller.
A bereaved woman and her daughter are
flying from Berlin to America. At 30,000
feet, the child vanishes and nobody
admits she was ever on the plane.
By MATTHEW MAHONEY
Staff Reporter
MLMSO39PSU EDU
Ollies, grinds and kicktlips. When
any gamer hears these three words
they automatically associate them
with the Tony Hawk series of games.
The latest installment in this series,
American Wasteland, is the finest of
them all.
Unlike the Madden football series,
where the newest year brings only an
improvement in graphics and team
rosters, American Wasteland brings
vast improvements and impressive
game play.
Like all Tony Hawk games this
one has the classic arcade mode and
create-a-skater modes, all of which
are as great as the first game but
improved with vast levels that are
highly detailed and expanded. In
addition to the classic mode is a new
and improved story mode.
January 23, 2006
Slightly Contageous Film Reviews For The Average Joe
IMDB.com's new DVD releases
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American Wasteland raises the bar
The Family Stone
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The Details: Fox 2000 Pictures
presents a film staring Claire
Danes, Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica
Parker, and Luke Wilson, written
and directed by Thomas Bezucha.
The film has a running time of 102
minutes and is rated PG-13 for some
sexual content including dialogue,
and drug references.
The Low Down: A man brings home
his new girlfriend for Christmas to
meet his family for the first time,
only to find out they don't like her.
The Dirty: Is it over yet? How about
now? Seriously, who allowed this
garbage to be made, and how on
earth could someone tell me this is a
good movie? Maybe it is a movie that
appeals strictly to the women of the
world. I will never honestly know.
But for some reason everyone
I mention the film to says, "Oh
I heard that was a good movie."
To which I quickly reply, "I think
they must have been talking about
kidney stones, not the Family Stone,
because I would rather have those
than ever watch this film again."
January 24, 2006
The Fog
A quiet seaside town is engulfed by
a thick fog precisely one century
after a boat sunk just off the coast
under mysterious circumstances.
Story mode is one aspect of the
game that is recommended to be
done first. In doing the story mode
all the levels get unlocked tOr free
skate mode. Story mode is also the
best place for training if this is your
first attempt at the series.
Before any more highlights of this
latest and greatest from Activision
can be divulged a look at the roots of
this series is in order.
The very first game was Tony
Hawk's Pro Skater. It featured only
what we now know as the classic
arcade mode and had only half 01
the tricks. As the game developed
and changed with every installment
certain features became available.
All of those features, like
programming in your favorite
specials and combo adding points,
have made it to this latest installment.
Improvements include new tricks,
BMX riding and the ever infamously
advertised no loading times.
By BRANDON SARZYNSKI
Staff Reporter
BSSI77@PSU EDU
Not only was the story overly
predictable but it was also overly
unbearable. How unbearable you
ask? Well it was so bad I had to get
up halfway through the film and
take a break from watching it. Yeah,
this movie made me get up, leave
the theater and go look at movie
posters for about 15 minutes.
Let me tell you, that was the best
part of this film. Heck the previews
weren't even all that great. When I
returned from my adventure to the
lobby there was no need to ask what
1 had missed, because everything I
predicted had come to fruition.
The acting was horrible, the plot
ien en worse, and the whole setting of
the film just made me contemplate
suicide. In no way shape or form
did this film grab my attention,
make me question life or love, or do
anything other than make me feel
that I was stuck on a long road trip
listening to elevator music. At no
point is the film exciting, engaging,
enticing or anything of that nature.
Overall it is a failed attempt at
comedy, drama, romance, or any
other genre that this film thought
might be a good idea to throw in for
good measure. If your significant
other wants to go see this film break
up with them, you'll save yourself
eight bucks and an hour and forty
minutes of shear boredom. Avoid
like the plague!
Official film website: www
thefamilystonemovie.com
January 24, 2006
Thumbsucker
Justin throws himself and everyone
around him into chaos when he
attempts to break free from his
addiction to his thumb.
The addition of BMX riding is a
huge augment to the game play. Not
only does it add on to the number
of missions that you have available
but it also forces you to change your
play style in order to maximize the
game's potential.
Controlling the BMX is much
different than skating around and it
is recommended that you either start
that segment of the game very early
or very late.
Differences in controls aside the
BMX missions are incredibly fun.
As with the skating portion, if you
start the BMX portion on story mode
it makes it easier.
The no loading time that has been
the main stay of their advertising
campaign is true to every word. Once
you enter free skate mode or story
mode the load times disappear.
The passages between areas act as
their own loading phase, but there is
no pause or stoppage in game play.
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Walk the Line
The Details: Twentieth Century
Fox Film Corporation presents a
film staring Joaquin Phoenix and
Reese Witherspoon, written by Gill
Dennis and James Mangold, based
off of books by Johnny Cash, and
Patrick Can, and directed by Barry W.
Blaustein. The film has a running time
of 136 minutes and is rated PG-13 for
some language, thematic material and
depiction of drug dependency.
The Low Down: A retelling of
music legend Johnny Cash's life,
from his early days in Arkansas to
his rise to fame.
The Dirty: The first thing that
a biopic needs in order to be
interesting is to follow the life of
someone who was interesting, and
after seeing this film, I must say, I
never thought Johnny Cash's life
could be so amazing. From his sad
beginnings, through his midlife
turmoil, and on through his second
revival, Johnny Cash's life is awe
inspiring. It is truly an amazing
January 31, 2006
Corpse Bride
When a shy groom practices his
wedding vows in the inadvertent
presence of a deceased woman. She
rises from the grave assuming he
has married her.
The passages in between are
also a free skate area. There are no
regulations on how long your character
can be there, what you can do there or
even if you want to turn around and
go back the way you came.
The no load times between
areas only keeps you more and
more interested and makes it nigh
on impossible to break away from
the game.
Customization is also the name of
the game in American Wasteland.
Even from the very beginning in
story mode your character is forced
into being customized exactly the
way you want.
Everything from hair to shoes is
changeable about your character.
Deck customizations and extra gear
like packs, hats and shades are all
available selections.
Don't worry about your character
locked in with a certain appearance
either. Customization changes can
story and it was told so perfectly
that it truly deserves any awards that
it may win.
The acting, the script, the directing,
the cinematography, and any other
aspect you can think of was damn
near perfect. Joaquin Phoenix
and Reese Witherspoon make an
amazing showing of their talents. A
true chemistry exists between them,
and it is beyond enjoyable to watch.
The fact that they were even able
to sing the songs themselves, and
sound amazing doing so, was even
more of a treat. I can't lie, I thought
it was a horrible idea to not use
Johnny Cash's original recordings,
but somehow they proved me
wrong. After a while you actually
start to believe that they really are
Johnny Cash and June Carter.
There is hardly anything I would
change about this film, although
it does get slow at parts, but they
are few and far between. The story
is truly engaging, the acting is far
above and beyond what I thought it
could be, and what you end up with
is just a truly beautiful piece of film
work. This is one of the rare films
that you can just get lost in and forget
that you are watching a movie. If you
can find it in theaters rush out and
see it as soon as possible!
Official film website: www.
walkthelinemovie.com
I also recommend checking out the
website, it is extremely well done
and entertaining.
# 0 00 00
January 31, 2006
In Her Shoes
Follows the story of Maggie, the
consummate party girl and her
numerous clashes with her head-on
straight sister, Rose.
happen at any time in the game
This installment in the series is also
the first that supports Xbox Live in
addition to PS Online. Now people
can free skate together all over the
world or they can work together on
missions dating all the way back to
the original Tony Hawk: Pro Skater.
In the end this game satisfies all
types of players. If you are looking
for some quick action play, this game
has it.
If you are looking for hours
of satisfying and enjoyable
entertainment then pick up a copy
of this one. The game play is smooth
and easy to learn. The music in the
game is great and really sets the
pace. The music flows just as smooth
as the graphics from one level to the
next thanks to the no load time.
This game easily rates a 4.5 out
of 5. The only problem with it is the
repetitive nature of the classic arcade
mode. In short, buy it.