THE CAPITAL TIMES
P 6 arz s *elm Iry
Underworld: Evolution
The Details:
Screen Gems Inc. presents a
film staring Kate Beckinsale and
Scott Speedman, directed by Len
Wiseman, and written by Danny
Mcßride (screenplay) and
Len Wiseman (story). The film
has a running time of 105 minutes
and is rated R for pervasive strong
violence and gore, some sexuality/
nudity and language.
The Low Down:
Selene (Kate Beckinsale) must defeat
two brothers in order to save the world
from a plague of werewolves.
The Dirty:
This movie was awesome! Oh
wait, wrong movie. This movie
felt more like a television show on
the WB than something you would
see on the big screen. It has been
a long time since I saw the first
Yewande
The fusion of
rock and jazz
By SHANNON NORDT
Staff Reporter
SAPSOI9@PSU.EDU
For some, it was more than just
a mere lunch. On Tues, Jan. 31,
Stacks Market served up a surprise
performance by Yewande Abedayo,
a Liberian songstress with a unique
voice. It was quite a treat for the 100
or so appreciative lunch-goers.
Yewande (E-wan-day) has been
traveling and performing at various
Penn State branch campuses. "My
experience has been awesome,"
she said.
Yewande opened with covers
from popular artists such as
Lauren Hill and her performance
did not fall on deaf ears. really
enjoyed her renditions. She can
sing," said Stephen Williams, 18,
Business Marketing.
Not only does this Liberian
songbird have professional and
classical training from Howard
and Carnegie Mellon Universities,
she also has a master's degree in
Public Administration from New
York University.
Knowing that her music is a hit
outside of the mainstream, in fact,
one song is a fusion of rock and
jazz, Yewande started her own
independent record label, Lotus
Records. In less than a year, she has
recorded a second album entitled
Evolution. Performing with her on
that album are the Black Eyed Peas,
Sean Paul and Enrique Iglesias.
"This is a project that truly reflects
what I like most about music. It's
live. It's rock. It's blues and its hip
hop. It's real life and that is never
simple," she said, explaining her CD
on her website.
Yewande said her music is inspired
by real life issues we all face.
"The biggest barriers I am trying to
break with my music are issues of
race and sexism, while still keeping
it light and funky," she said, "Some
of my favorite artists like Outkast,
Black Eye Peas, Common and Mos
Def have a universal appeal and I
want my music to be the same."
During her tour, Yewande aims to
guide students through an evolution
of music giving them a message for
their soul with a rock vibe.
For more information please visit
http://www.Yewande.com
To purchase a CD visit:
http://www.CDßaby.com
February 6, 2006
Slightly Contageous Film Reviews For The Average Joe S B IE L a 7N p;3I D : 7
ESDAuRZYNSKI
Underworld, and I must say this film
relies heavily on you remembering
the first film. It does a brief
flashback, but not enough for you to
feel like you know what is going on.
The action sequences in the film
range from OK to pretty good,
but not much of it will have you
talking after the film. The look and
feel of the film almost started to
feel cliched. The color scheme just
seems over used in this genre by
every vampire movie out there in
the past 5 years. Get used to blues,
grays, and blacks; because those
are the only colors you are going to
see besides the blood. And not to
ruin the end of the film for you, but
it might as well stop mid story and
say "To be continued," because the
ending just feels like it was a lead
in to the next film and provided no
real conclusion
Overall the film feels too episodic.
It feels too cliched and it just seems
like every other film in the genre.
There's nothing really new here
As a TV show I'd say it was great,
as a film I have to say it was sub,
sub par. Wait for this on cable, I
can't see spending the money to go
and see it. Oh, and if you do decide
to go see it, make sure you watch
the first film right before you go.
KRISTEN POOLE for the Capital Times
February 7, 2006
Doom
Something has gone wrong at a
remote scientific research station
on Mars. All research has ceased,
there is not communication and
it's a level 5 quarantine. Rapid
Response Tactical Squad are
the only ones allowed in and
out they are hardened Space
Marines armed to the teeth with
enough firepower to neutralize the
enemy...or so they think.
...... ...%.A•11
111 ISI
Feel the force of Battlefront II
By MATHEW MAHONEY
Staff Reporter
MLMSO39© PSU EDU
Lucas Arts and Pandemic have
collaborated together to create one of
the best Star Wars video games yet.
Star Wars: Battlefront II is a unique
game that encompasses the Star Wars
universe and presents a whole new
side of the story to the player.
Fans of Star Wars, that also happen
to be garners, can all agree that the
problem with bringing the Star Wars
universe to the gaming media is
that it is never fully done the right
way. Either the game requires you
to exactly follow the plot already
established by the movie or it goes
off in a different direction that
causes players to lose the feeling of
being in the game.
The timeline of Battlefront II
starts the player slightly before the
plot of Episode 111. After the initial
Brokeback Mountain
The Details:
Focus Features presents a film
staring Heath Ledger and Jake
Gyllenhaal, directed by Ang Lee,
and written by E. Annie Proulx
(short story), Larry McMurtry
(screenplay), and Diana Ossana
(screenplay). The film has a
running time of 134 minutes and
is rated R for sexuality, nudity,
language, and some violence.
The Low Down:
Two cowboys herding sheep in
the mountains fall in love, and go
back to their normal lives and try to
act as though nothing has changed.
The Dirty:
This is a perfect example of great
acting. How Ang Lee went from
directing the Hulk, to directing
one of the most controversial and
well done films out there is beyond
me. If you want to see an award
winning film, go see this one.
MDB.com's new DVD releases
February 7, 2006
After causing the company he
works Ibr to lose hundreds of
millions of dollars, Drew Baylor
is fired for his mistake and
dumped by his girlfriend promptly
thereafter. On the verge of suicide,
Drew is oddly given a new purpose
in life when he returns to his
hometown following his father's
death. In a twist of fate, a romance
helps get his life hack on track.
missions arc over the game picks
up with the plot of Episode 111. The
difference from this game and others
that are out there is Battlefront II
places you in the position of being
in charge of a clone army. The
story follows the private journal of
one particular clone and offers the
player a whole new side of the Star
Wars universe as it progresses from
Episode 11l and into Episode IV.
Plot lines aside the game play
are excellent. When a player starts
a mission they have an option to
select what kind of clone trooper
they want to be like. You can be a
standard clone trooper, an engineer
or a heavy weapons trooper.
The player then goes through
the mission in an over the
shoulder style of camera as you
battle against droids of all kinds.
If your character dies it's not that
big of a concern. The player gets
to select another clone trooper,
and this time one that is more
Elizabethtown
/\ 0\ 0\
ql Isl Isl
Yes, for some the subject matter
may be uncomfortable, but it is a
necessary story to be told.
I think a film like this is a great
step towards equality for people
regardless of sexual preference,
because it portrays the characters
in such a realistic and human
way that even people who may
not agree with it can at least
relate to it.
What we have here is a retelling
of the classic forbidden love tale
only it is a bit more taboo than
what has been previously done.
When it comes down to it, it
parallels Shakespeare's Romeo
and Juliet through a good portion
of its run time and then goes off
and does its own thing.
Heath Ledger and Jake
Gyllenhaal give an outstanding
and fully believable performance.
The settings make for a
picturesque experience and the
directing stands tall above many
other films this year.
I recommend going and seeing
this film in the theaters. Some
people may feel awkward at
parts, but I think overall it
will help them get a better
understanding of people who are
different than them.
February 7, 2006
Just Like Heaven
Elizabeth Masterson (Witherspoon)
is a dedicated, workaholic doctor
who is way too busy for life. One
night, she gets in a horrible car
accident and becomes a spirit stuck
between heaven and earth. But,
she doesn't know she's dead. The
story is about her realizing that she
is dead and forming a relationship
with the person who now lives in
her apartment.
capable of dealing with the
mission at hand
As the mission progresses, the
player will notice that there is a
number on the very top of the screen
that is counting down at an irregular
pace. This is the number of troops
in your reserves. When this number
gets to zero the mission has failed. A
player can increase this number by
taking over command posts and by
completing mission objectives.
By completing certain objectives
the player also gets to open up
extra features. You can play as
other troop types, get weapon and
health upgrades and even play as
one of the many Jedi featured in the
movies. From first hand experience
there is really nothing more fun
than playing as Yoda. That little
green man of action flies across
the board and takes down droids
without difficulty.
Players are not limited to fighting
on the ground only either. Combat
Lost Treasure
Dark City (1998)
The Details:
New Line Cinema film staring Rufus
Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland
and Jennifer Connelly, written and
directed by Alex Proyas, and written by
Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs, and David
Goyer. The film has a naming time of
96 minutes and is rated R for sexuality,
nudity, language, and violence.
The Low Down:
John Murdoch(Rufus Sewell) has just
awoken to find himself at the scene
of a murder he didn't commit. After
digging deeper, he starts to realize that
he is nothing more than a guinea pig
who has evolved.
The Dirty:
This was one of the greatest theater
experiences of 1998. What you have
is a beautifully shot and directed
piece of sci-fi, film noir mystery
This is one of those films that
creates a whole new world for the
characters to explore, and does so in
such an artistic and stylistic way, that
February 14, 2006
Mirror Mask
Helena, a 15 year old girl in a family
of circus entertainers whishes she
could run off and join real life. After
a fight with her parents about her
future plans, her mother falls quite
ill and Helena is convinced it's her
fault. Strange dreams and bizarre
creatures overwhelm Helena and, as
adventures continue, she begins to
wonder whether she's in a dream, or
something far more sinister.
takes place in space as well as the
ground. Not only does the player get
to control the many space vehicles
but there is a wide variety of
ground vehicles to use. The control
system used in the game is very
easy to use and figure out. There is
nothing complex or difficult about
controlling troopers or vehicles.
The boards are not so massive that
a player gets lost, but they are not so
tight fit that there is Little room for
exploration. Learning the nooks and
crannies to each level help out when
playing through the missions, but it
is even more helpful when playing
on co-op mode.
Co-op mode allows two people to
play together in the same mission
towards the same objective. By
knowing the map as you play, it
allows one player to cover or focus
on a certain area while the other
goes for the main objective.
Sound effects also take greater
precedence in this game rather than
: Films you haven't seen but should
even if you wind up not liking the plot
of the film, you are definitely going to
enjoy the look and feel.
This is a very blue and gray film,
but it is not your run of the mill horror
genre film. It looks and feels like
nothing else out there. It is a mix of
time and space that just doesn't seem
to fit in any one era or location.
There is so much attention to detail
in everything, that you may have to
watch it numerous times to fully enjoy
it. From the changing of characters,
the subtle foreshadowing, and
numerous clues hidden throughout,
you could spend weeks trying to find
everything hidden in the film.
Now for those that do not enjoy a
lot of thinking, this film may not be as
enjoyable. I must say it loses a lot in
its transition from big to small screen,
but if you have the opportunity to
watch this film on a big screen TV, I
recommend turning the lights down
and sitting in the glow. This is one of
the few films that can transport you to
another place while watching it, and
if you have the opportunity to let it
surround you, do so.
This film is available on DVD for
about $5.99 from any of the major
electronics retailers. The special features
are a little lacking, but it did come out
when DVDs first hit the market.
February 14, 2006
Every life has a story. And every
story has a life of its own. Captives
of the very relationships that define
and sustain them, nine women
resiliently meet the travails and
disappointments of life. The lives
of nine women from a variety of
different backgrounds are shown in
a series of vignettes.
iv. 0-... ..... ,
%if ISI 011
any music. This game is all about
sound and visual effects. Despite
the chaotic amount of sounds and
everything surrounding you in the
game it is still easy to focus on
where you are and what you are
doing. The game play is quick and
intense and easily keeps you going
from one mission to the next.
When it comes to a Star Wars
game that involves quick action,
Battlefront II is a definite pick up.
This game has an excellent plot that
also follows the original movie plot
line incredibly well. With excellent
controls and a game that never gets
repetitive this is a must buy for
people that like high speed, quick
action games. If you are looking
for a Star Wars game that is slow
and more of an RPG then stick to
Knights of the Old Republic, but for
fast paced action that gives a whole
other side to the story of the Star
Wars universe, pick up a copy today.
This game scores a 4 out of 5.
Nine Lives