Entertainment
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Final battle ties up Potter series loose strings
High School Musical 2
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By Jami Mcnerney
et on it, bet on it! More than simply lyrics to a song in High School Musical 2, fans can bet this sequel is huge. On Aug. 17, the Disney Channel premiered High School Musical 2, the long awaited sequel to 2006’s High School Musical. HSM not only attracted young audiences, but hit the teen scene as well. “I was randomly watching the Disney Channel one night, and I saw a music video for HSM1 so I watched the movie and fell in love with it,” senior Lauren Smith said. Students gathered around TV sets on Aug. 17 to watch the sequel. Some students watched after returning from the football game while others held their own premier parties. “I had nine of my friends over at my house to watch. We ate food, and I made sure I was able to countdown the
premier with the Disney Channel,” Smith said. The Disney Channel played High School Musical 2 three nights in a row. “I had band on Friday night so I had to wait until Saturday night to watch, but it was really worth the wait,” freshman Stefie Spicer said. Many people wondered why HSM was so popular among the high school crowd. The answer is quite simple. “I love High School Musical because I can relate to it with all the drama; it’s what really got me hooked,” freshman Tori Clark said. The Disney Channel has announced a potential High School Musical 3, which could appear in theaters. HSM is already a huge merchandise franchise and continues to grow. “I own the HSM1 soundtrack, the HSM1 movie, the concert DVD, the HSM2 single CD, and a HSM 1 and HSM2 poster,” Smith said.
Superbad brings super laughs
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By Jake Pierle
ike all of Judd Apatow’s movies, Superbad is an eccentric laugh riot. This teen comedy is primarily based on dialogue; one-liners are abundant, and the entire screenplay is full of quotes no teen will forget. But, beware the movie is rated R for good reason. Its sexual humor, swear words and graphic images could be offensive. While the flick does not contain nudity, the fword is used approximately 186 times during its 1:55 running time. The R-rated plot involves three senior boys trying to buy liquor to impress girls. The two main boys -- Evan (Michael Cera) and Seth (Jonah Hill) -- are focused on the girls while their friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Passe) is in charge of the purchase. Evan is after Becca (Martha MacIsaac) while Seth is going for Jules (Emma Stone). The boys encounter many unfortunate mishaps and hilarious trials during their quest. The cast portrayed their characters magnificently. Cera plays a generic teen; he has previously played a troubled
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By Brittany Sheedy
reenwood Park Mall plans to add 115,000 square feet of new restaurants and stores for the holidays. These restaurants and shops will be included in the new lifestyle addition and replace plus expand the former L.S. Ayres location. “These restaurants will be a big hit,” Mr. John Phipps, Simon Property Group vice president of development said. “This is an all-star lineup that is sure to appeal to a variety of tastes.” The Cheesecake Factory. In addition to 40 different flavors of cheesecake, this restaurant has a 200-item menu.
teen on the TV series Arrested Development. Hill has also had his share of teenager roles, including Schrader in Accepted. Mintz-Plasse is well fit for the scrawny, nerd. Meanwhile, Bill Hader and Seth Rogen worked their quirky magic as incompetent police officers. Credit is due to the crew as well. Apatow, producer of similar movies such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Anchorman, has stuck to his usual style, keeping the audience laughing. Scarcely was there silence in the theater. Meanwhile, director Greg Mottola did well with his first theater feature film. Previously, Mottola has worked in television and did so with Cera on Arrested Development. The movie has already been nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer Movie – Comedy/Musical. The musical part doesn’t seem appropriate since there is no original song. The music is primarily 60’s and 70’s soul and funk and emphasizes the boys’ outdated sense of style and taste. Superbad is a typical teen comedy taken to the next level of entertainment. With abundant one-liners and awkward, gross-out moments, Apatow has used his usual style to once again raise the bar on comedy. Prices vary from $8.95 - $24.95. This fine dine is found in 44 locations nationwide with one at Keystone at the Crossing. Stir Crazy. To grab a bold flavor of Asian cuisine, Stir Crazy plans to include Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese. Guest will see the chef cook in his wok and either create their own cuisine or simply pick from the menu. This restaurant will be the first in Indiana with locations at Greenwood Park Mall opening soon and at Keystone at the Crossing in the Spring of 2008. Paradise Bakery. This restaurant has 40 locations in 10 states with three in Indiana. They plan to add three more in Carmel, at Castleton Corner and in the Chase Tower. Johnny Rockets. Johnny Rockets has an enticing menu featuring burgers and American foods. A similar restaurant has been open at Circle Center Mall and will open at Castleton soon. BJ’s Brewhouse. The menu includes pizza, salads, sandwiches, soups, pasta, entrees and desserts. The restaurant will also feature handcrafted beer and root beer. BJ’s Brewhouse will add 8, 500 square feet to the facility with a seating capacity of 270 guests. This BJ’s Brewhouse will be the first one in Indiana. Barnes and Noble. With 28,000 square feet, the new store will offer a huge children’s department with more than 15,000 titles. Likewise, customers will find an advanced technology music listening system with up to 200,000 titles. The store will have a giant newsstand for magazines and hundreds of hard-to-find specialty publications. A Community Center for community events will house author readings, book clubs and book fairs with local literary and cultural organizations.
By Rachel Bond
idnight rallies, conventions around the globe, weird kids in hooded cloaks and circular glasses - we’ve all seen them. They are the die-hard Harry Potter fans. It is a modern phenomenon. What started as an idea on a delayed train has turned British author J.K. Rowling from an everyday teacher into a billionaire with merely seven books on her résumé. J.K. Rowling’s characters came to life in these books. Three main characters have roles in all seven novels, and readers have seen them mature through each book. Readers actually feel as if they know Harry, Ron and Hermione. Even the other lesser developed characters seem to be real people who exist in our own world. In some cases, I am sure Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy and other Hogwarts residents are as familiar to readers as members of their own family. Books 1-5 have been made into movies with the most recent hitting the screen this summer. Fans lined up to catch Midnight premieres, including shows at the recently-opened and popular IMAX theater in Southern Plaza. Twenty minutes near the end of that movie version involved a 3-D effect for which audience member wore special glasses. The battle between Harry and Lord Voldemort involved glass shards among other projectiles shooting at the audience. These movies have covered most of what has happened in the books, usually right down to exact dialogue. The cast selected to play all of the characters seemed perfect, and even have looked like the readers I imagined as I read. And, just as the books have grown more mature as the characters have aged, the movies have reflected the same changes. In fact, the past two movies have been rated PG-13 for good reason. Harry, Ron and Hermione have faced more challenging and gruesome tasks in their attempts to overthrow Lord Voldemort. This July, the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sold 8.3 million copies in the U.S. on its release date. Local stores, such as Meijer, offered lines for purchasers who wanted to claim their books at the moment the clock struck 12:01 a.m. while others offered discounted prices for pre-ordering. This last installment gives the final battle between Harry and Lord Voldemort and finally decides which conquers, good or evil. The characters are finally fully matured, and the epilogue even goes to 19 years later, so readers can see how Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny fare in their later years. Overall, this final book wrapped up the story well and offered a finite ending to the series. It reached back as far as Book 1 to explain fine points within those plots without seeming like a summary narrative. And, I am happy to report that the pirated ending published on the internet was 100 percent inaccurate. This seven book, epic series about a boy and his friends has radically changed the face of modern literature and given a whole generation topics for daydreams. I believe the series will become a classic. With such variety, Simon expects a slam dunk opening. “We believe these exciting tenants will strengthen Greenwood Park Mall’s position as the retail hub of south Indianapolis and, indeed, south-central Indiana,” said Mr. Phipps. “We feel our customers will be thrilled with these improvements.”
Barnes and Noble’s is only one of many construction sites on the mall’s north side. The 115,000 square foot addition will feature various restaurants and specialty stores. Julie Clites photo