Wednesday, May 26, 2010
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Minnesota State University, Mankato
Walking toward progress
submitted photo Minnesota State Student Association members Dan Kromer, Tom Williams, Brett Anderson and Matthew Schmidt beam with accomplishment as they hand invitations to for the fall 2010 forum on higher education to Minnesota Representative Kathy Brynaert and Senator Kathy Sheran (middle).
MSSA members march 95 miles to invite government officials to MSU for a forum on the status of higher ed. ELENA SHUFELT
news editor This walk makes marathons look like sprints. Four Minnesota State Student Association (MSSA) members walked 95 miles to the capitol in St. Paul to invite legislators and gubernatorial candidates to a forum at Minnesota State in fall 2010. President Tom Williams and Vice President Brett Anderson led the way and were joined by Speaker Matthew Schmidt and Senator Dan Kromer. The forum will focus on the future status of higher education and the changes that have raised the financial burden students’ bear. “We probably won’t see an immediate impact,” Williams said. “What it does, though, is it puts higher education on the agenda, making it a discussion point and putting it
in the forefront of issues that the governor candidates and the legislative candidates are facing.” Williams said this walk made a statement that tells government officials that something is happening with higher education that needs their absolute attention. “We just need to start talking about the future and what our plans are for higher education because if we keep going in this direction nobody is going to be able to afford an education,” Anderson said. The state of Minnesota’s original intent was to pay more than 50% of the total revenue for higher education, but that percentage has lowered over the past few years. Now students are looking at paying almost 58% of the cost out of their own pockets.
“They are willing to listen and work with us,” Schmidt said. “I think if they came down and showed that they cared, all the students would feel a little bit better about how the government feels about higher education.” The walk began at the doors of the Centennial Student Union at noon on May 14. Williams, Anderson and Schmidt then set off toward the Sakatah State Trail to start their treacherous journey. Anderson said it was strange only working one half of the body. “From the waist up you felt like a rock star, but the bottom half your feet were just blisters and swollen. We couldn’t put our shoes on in the morning our feet were so swollen.” The first night the team carried backpacks and planned to camp, but when they stopped
in Waterville to grab some dinner, an inspired stranger took them in. Kate Aase heard the story of what they were doing and refused to let them camp. She and her husband Dennis Merritt gave them beds, showers, food and oil to rub on their worn out feet. The following day, the team pushed themselves to walk nearly 40 miles. “She really went above and beyond the call for being a stranger,” Anderson said. “I think without that—I don’t know if we would have made it as far as we did on Saturday.” Schmidt agreed that their kindness helped motivate the team to continue. Saturday Kromer joined the walk with a fresh set of legs after running a 5K earlier. “He really lifted our spirits
Walk / page 4
index
Two popular Mankato hangouts close, see page 3 Editorial...................................4 Sports......................................6 Variety......................................9 Classifieds.............................11
MSU grad runs for mayor NATE BRENNAN
editor in chief
“The way government does business is going to be changing,” says Mankato mayoral candidate Christopher Frederick. Although Frederick, a 2008 graduate of Minnesota State’s electrical engineering program, failed to ascertain one of Mankato City Council’s at-large seats in last fall’s election, he believes he has what it takes to take down incumbent John Brady. Modern politics being as much about campaigning as it is politicking, Frederick feels that given the results of his recent candidacy for the Mankato City Council, an election in which he was defeated by a mere 415 votes, there is a real chance he’ll become the next mayor of Mankato. “[The city council election] really showed me that there is a strong support for some different thoughts and some different direction needed within the council,” Frederick says. “We haven’t seen a lot of progression or changes from two years ago, so there’s still a lot of relevant issues that I feel need to be addressed.”
submitted photo 2008 Minnesota State graduate Christopher Frederick will run for the office of Mayor of Mankato in the 2010 election.
“A couple weeks ago we saw that the LGA (Local Government Aid) was cut again and the council had to address and adjust its budget accordingly,” Frederick said. “We need to have creative solutions and creative ideas on how we’re going to solve tomorrow’s problems, understanding that we’re going to have to do the
Mayor / page 4
Maverick baseball falls short in the Division II College Baseball World Series PAGE 6
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Campus favorite closes
Downtown bar The Hub had five and half good years forced to shut down in University Square, will be missed The closing of the popular hangout was even more surprising because The By all appearances the Hub had already survived space appears to be open an invasion by mega-chain for business: salt and pepper Starbucks, which opened in shakers, along with napkins University Square in early adorn the tables, the white 2008. After about a year, boards behind the counter Starbucks folded and The Hub are covered with handwritten won an important victory for marker, and a picture of a full family-owned establishments cup of coffee hangs from the everywhere. back wall. Everything looks Now, its closure has created to be in order, except for the a void for University Square “retail space available” posters management. that signal the end of The Hub “We’re really sorry to coffeehouse in the University see them go,” said Preston Square Mall. Lougheed, general manager for The events that led to its the University Square Mall. He unexpected end occurred went on to describe the news during the week prior to finals. as “pretty unfortunate.” According to the April 29 entry of Free Press staff writer Lougheed was unable to shed any light on the reasons for the Robb Murray’s COLLEGE! shutdown, saying the owners blog, The Hub “died this week just turned in their keys. of unknown causes.” The The cafe’s personal service restaurant’s owners, Dennis and close proximity to campus and Lisa Smith, could not be made it an attractive and reached for comment on the convenient stop for university reasons for closing. Murray’s students and staff. The tribute, entitled: “R.I.P. The restaurant also featured a full Hub... We’re gonna miss ya,” menu for breakfast, lunch and went on to explain that a sign dinner. went up on the door that week Some of its most diehard explaining that the restaurant customers work in the Alumni was closing for good after a & Foundation Center, which five-and-a-half-year run.
DAN BOETTCHER
staff writer
is located just a few hundred feet from The Hub’s former front door. Jennifer Chelstrom and Elaine Ruch, who work in the office of the College of Graduate Studies and Research, were two of these dedicated patrons. Both Chelstrom and Ruch said they frequented The Hub on a daily basis during the five-day work week. “It was a sad day for us,” Chelstrom said. “They always knew what we wanted.” This was a common sentiment among customers who made The Hub a regular part of their day. “I already miss it,” said Jodi Kohrs, director of prospect research with the Office of University Development. “It was just a good all-around place to go.” The greasy goodness of the food seemed to be the biggest draw among students. In particular, mornings were a popular time for the younger crowd. “We (used to) go for breakfast,” said Rachael Johnson-Murray, a recent psychology graduate from
Hub / page 4
Hazzard owes back taxes JENNY POLLOCK
staff writer
Girls will no longer be dancing on the bars at Hazzard. The bar in downtown Mankato was forced to close after the city council of Mankato unanimously voted on April 12 for a two day suspension of Hazzard’s liquor license, $1000 civil penalty, loss of gold star status and a 60-day suspension starting April 25. The two-day suspension, $1,000 fine and loss of the gold star status happened because Hazzard received multiple “strikes.” Gold star status is a program that the city of Mankato has implemented to cut back on people consuming too much alcohol. If bars meet the standards of the program, they are recognized and receive a 10 percent discount on license fees. In the event of a violation, gold star status will result in lesser penalties because the bar shows an effort to follow the guidelines. The Department of Revenue informed the city that Hazzard has outstanding
tax delinquencies owed to the State of Minnesota. Hazzard has been on the back taxes list since September. It could have worked with the state to figure something out to get its license back, but it chose not to do that. Hazzard acquired these strikes in the last 12 months: The bar had a patron leave with alcohol, was caught selling alcohol without a buyers card, sold alcohol after 2:00 a.m. when it did not have a license to do so and violated occupancy standards. Hazzard also failed to attend a problem solving hearing. The city council confirmed that Hazzard could stay open to serve food only if it chooses to do so. The city council did not receive any response from Hazzard. Its phone is no longer in service, but it does still have a Facebook page. “All of my experiences at Hazzard were good ones,” said junior law enforcement major David Gottschalk. “It offered a different atmosphere
Hazzard / page 4
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Purple & Orange Permit areas & Free Lot 23 Summer Gold Permits: On sale for $46 in the following lots: Lot 7 (by Blakeslee Stadium), Maywood Curbside Gold, Rugby Gold, McElroy Curbside Gold. Approval needed, email: david.cowan@mnsu.edu.
Gold Permit Stalls Enforced When Classes Are In Session Gold permit holders are not restricted and can park in any Gold Permit lot with more than 80 stalls, including: Lot 4a, Lot 7, Lots 11 + 11a & Gold Lot 5.
Enforced Stalls: Gold permit areas, handicap stalls, meters, facilities management, vendor stalls & delivery stalls.
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WALK Journey could become annual event despite physical repercussions HUB U-Square
looking to fill void
continued from 1 because that day got long,” Anderson said. The Sakatah State Trail ended in Faribault. From there, the team had to battle gravel roads and uneven railroad tracks for a period of time. On Sunday, they completed another 30 miles and ended only three miles from the capitol. Anderson said they all were doing more hobbling than walking by the end of the weekend, but Monday morning they pushed through and finally made it. “I think the best thing was when we could finally see the cities — the metro area and the skylines — and then you see the capitol and you’re like, ‘ok you know you’re going to make it now,’” Anderson said. Once the hardened travelers reached St. Paul, they stopped at the Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities (MnSCU) office and met the chancellor before heading to the capitol. There they met with Senator Kathy Sheran, Representatives Kathy Brynaert and Terry Morrow and gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton, along with the senate and house majority and senate minority leaders. Williams said as of right now, all will be attending the forum. The forum is still in the planning stage in part because all four participants of the walk are still recovering. “My knees got to the point on the second day where they were starting to buckle and wobble with every step,” Williams said. Despite all the pain, Williams and Anderson have discussed making this walk an annual event or a tradition for incoming
continued from 2
submitted photo Matthew Schmidt and Tom Williams rest their feet on the 95 mile walk.
MSSA members. Williams said it was all worth it. “Your body tends to forget
MAYOR Frederick is former MSSA president same amount or more with less.” One public service which Frederick felt has been showing what kind of progress can be made by the newer, creative thinking he feels is necessary is Mankato’s public transportation. “Mankato Public Transportation has seen record ridership through a couple of its routes and those routes happen to be where they’ve been more creative in how they time and locate their routes,” Frederick said. “We need to continue to foster outside of the box thinking and creative solutions so that we can continue to meet the needs of a developing community. I think given the state of the economy and the fact that energy prices are
going to continue to rise, I think public transportation has become more important.” Frederick, a governor appointed, Minnesota Senate-confirmed member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Board of Trustees, is running on a platform he expressed focused on business development and community relationships. “Mankato is a regional center, it’s a regional hub, and we need to continue to emphasize that this is the premiere place to work and live,” Frederick said. “We need to focus on our relationships within the community to make that community stronger and look at ways we can continue to foster
the business development that is occurring within the city.” Frederick expressed the importance of a strong community featuring, among harmonious and cohesive neighborhoods, a bevy of supported locally owned businesses. “Mankato was founded on small business. We’re a big small business, family business community and we need to embrace that,” Frederick said. He added that he believes Mankato must do what it can for small business “not just to get them in the door, but to keep them around.” After graduating from Minnesota State, Frederick was employed by Avery Weigh-Tronix as a project manager. Wanting to
the pain quite easily. Come a year (from now) I’ll probably be ready enough to tack on another 100 miles.”
continued from 1
explore the possibilities renewable energies provide, Frederick returned to Minnesota State to work at the campus’ renewable energy lab and to earn his a Master of Science degree in engineering. Frederick stated that he hopes to own and operate a business related to renewable energies in Mankato in the future. While only two candidates currently are running for office, potential candidates have until June 1 to submit their names for the mayoral election. Incumbent John Brady won the position of mayor in 2006 in an eight-person election.
Minnesota State, who works at nearby Noodles & Company. “It seems really abrupt that it closed.” A good breakfast menu will be a vital component for any potential replacement. Lougheed said University Square management is looking for a similar establishment that fills the niche previously occupied by The Hub. In short, interested parties must be able to create a welcoming atmosphere for patrons, including university students and staff, to gather and hang out. Judging by the appearance of the vacant space, all it needs is a strong, new tenant. All the other ingredients are already in place.
HAZZARD Bar rumored to reopen continued from 2 than the other bars in Mankato. All the other bars have an urban/modern feel to them and hazard had more of a western physique.” It is rumored that Hazzard will open again, possibly under a different name. No one from the organization would accept an interview. No representative from Hazzard attended the city council meeting.
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acebook Parents
We Don’t Resent You, We Just Want You To Go Away In February, the web site Lamebook, which chronicles the best and worst of Facebook encounters, found an interaction between parent and child that perfectly represents one (of many) of the dilemmas occurring on the social networking site. The interaction went like this:
SUMMER STAFF 2010
Maybe I’m nostalgic and miss the time when Facebook wasn’t open to the public. Or maybe when my mother tries to interact with me via Facebook, I get overwhelmed with images of momma’s boy embarrassment (i.e. dropped off by mommy to your first drinking party or Frances McDormad yelling “Don’t do drugs!” to her son as he walks into the Black Sabbath concert in “Almost Famous”). However, as shown by the example above, I think that my fellow college students and I have just cause for concern. I’m not saying that parents with children on Facebook shouldn’t be allowed to use the social networking site, but they must learn that the boundaries online are much the same as they are in the actual world. I am great friends with my mother and father and enjoy their company when I can make it to see them in Herrin, Ill. and New Prague, Minn., respectively. But would I welcome them to participate in the same arena as a college atmosphere or in business connections? The answer is no. No, I would not. And I believe most college students feel the same way. It’s an issue of personal space. This may seem a ridiculous concept given the vastness of the Internet and the core vanity of Facebook, but it’s relative to each child’s right of passage into adulthood (or at least an pedestrian version of it). Usually around ones junior or senior year of high school, parents are forced to accept their child doesn’t need them the same way they did when they were children and are often forced to deal with, ironically, bouts of childish acting out to prove that fact. This leads to the parent feeling resented, though they know its just a phase that will pass. So parents, just because we don’t want to Facebook chat with you or have you comment on photographic evidence of our drunken escapades doesn’t mean we resent you, it just means we’re still too young to accept that we can socially interact in the same atmosphere. Plus, there’s always email. EDITORS
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Mavericks end year at world series
KYLE RATKE
sports editor Most NCAA baseball teams have the College Baseball World Series in the back of their minds every spring. Only a few teams can make the dream a reality. The Minnesota State baseball team was one of eight teams to earn a spot in the Div. II tournament in Cary, N.C. “It’s been pretty amazing,” said MSU senior pitcher Pat Lenton. “We flew down first class and had the whole plane to ourselves. We have never played on surfaces like this — the grass looks like Astroturf. The whole experience has been great.” The Mavericks were eliminated on Tuesday after falling to Southern Indiana on Sunday, 8-6, and to Franklin Pierce on Tuesday, 6-2. “The ultimate goal coming in was to keep winning,” said MSU head coach Matt Magers after Sunday’s loss. “Brett (Mitchell) walked some guys, something he normally doesn’t do.” Mitchell, who owns a 10-4 record, walked five batters after pitching five innings, allowing seven earned runs and striking out eight batters — breaking the MSU single season record for strikeouts
with 108. Steve Helget and Matt Odegaard led the way offensively for the Mavericks, going a combined 7-for-8, but had no runs or RBIs. Up until Tuesday’s game, every game in the tournament was decided by three runs or less, something rarely seen throughout the tournament. “Having watched these teams, we are right there with most of them,” Magers said. After Sunday’s loss, the Mavericks were facing an elimination game Tuesday against Franklin Pierce and decided to put Lenton on the mound. Lenton owned a 9-3 record going into the game with a team-best 3.31 ERA. Before the game, Lenton evaluated Franklin Pierce and acknowledged what they needed to do if the Mavericks wanted to win. “We watched them play the other day and they didn’t look anything different than any other team,” Lenton said. “As far as pitching, I need to pitch strikes and keep them offbalanced.” Things didn’t go exactly the way Lenton had hoped. MSU held an early 2-0 lead, but
MSU baseball / page 7
photo courtesy of sports pix Senior infielder Kosuke Hattori was 1-for-3 in Sunday’s game with a run and an RBI.
PLAYING FOR THE OTHER PURPLE AND GOLD Offensive lineman Adrian Battles hopes to be wearing familiar colors this fall PAT DELANEY
photo courtesy of sports pix and msu athletics Battles help anchor a line that was responsible for 2,842 rushing yards during the 2009 season.
staff writer Adrian Battles will be on a similar field this summer in similar colors. But for the 6-foot-three-inch, 300 pound offensive lineman, this summer will bring a new set of challenges. The former Minnesota State star signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings, a team he grew accustomed to seeing when they held training camp at Blakeslee stadium on the Minnesota State campus. Unlike rookies who hear their names announced early in the NFL draft, Battles will have to find a way to separate himself from a large group of hopefuls that are trying to accomplish their dreams of playing at the next level. “I feel I need to work harder than everyone else,” said Battles. “I am trying to be the first one in the film room and just ask as many questions I
can.” Battles is no stranger to coming into a situation with a large challenge ahead of him. After a successful prep career at Vincent High School in Milwaukee, Wisc., Battles brought his game to the collegiate level at Minnesota State, arriving to a team that struggled to be competitive for a decade, not making the playoffs since 1993. After being redshirted his first year, Battles became a mainstay on an offensive line that played a huge role in the improvement of the program. He started 43 games at left tackle in his career, helping MSU return to the playoffs in 2008 and win the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title in 2009. “It was a great experience for my senior class,” said Battles. “We wanted to help turn the program around and get into the playoffs.”
Battles capped off his career with an impressive senior season. He was apart of an offense that rushed for 2,842 yards — the fourth highest singleseason total in school history. Battles’ play earned him firstteam All-NSIC honors. Battles didn’t have much time to dwell on a heartbreaking loss at home to finish his career. With NFL pro days just three months away, Battles went back to work, preparing himself to be at his best when teams would start looking at him in March. His routine included working out two times a day, focusing on adding mass to an already solid frame, while also spending a lot of time on his speed and footwork. After going undrafted in April, Battles eagerly waited for a phone call to see if any teams would show him some interest. It turned out he wouldn’t
Battles / page 7
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
BATTLES “I want to help the team anyway I can.” continued from 6 have to wait long. He received a phone call from the Vikings shortly after the draft and was offered a three-day tryout. Battles then showed the team enough to earn an undrafted free-agent contract. Since signing the deal, Battles has been a regular at the teams voluntary organized team activities and is enjoying the experience. A June minicamp will give him the chance to continue to learn from incoming veterans. “It has been a great experience so far,” Battles said. “You grow up watching these guys on TV so it will be great to have a chance to learn from them. It is so Adrian Battles much faster at this level so I am just trying to take in as much as I can and really learn the ins and outs of it.” The possibility of playing with a quarterback like Brett Favre also excited Battles. “Brett Favre plays the game the way I love to see it played,” Battles said. “The passion he plays with is how I try to play the game. That moment when I see him on the field. I won’t even know what to do.” Battles will still have a long road ahead of him, but he will have plenty of support along the way from his former coaches at MSU. He has received plenty of encouragement, especially from his offensive line coach, Mike Cunningham, who Battles said was like a father figure to him. While left tackle was Battles position in college, it will be important for him to show off his versatility as he moves forward in practice. Being able to play different positions on the line and special teams could mean the whether or not Battles will see his name on the teams final roster list. But like his time at MSU, Battles plans to do the things he can control and let the rest take care of itself. “I will basically do anything to be apart of this organization,” Battles said. “I want to help the team anyway I can. I would be just as happy playing special teams as I would be playing offense. I am just really enjoying the whole experience.”
Sports
Reporter • Page 7
BASEBALL “These guys are going to look back on this 25-30 years from now and remember that week in North Carolina.” continued from 6 Franklin Pierce rallied back with six unanswered runs — ending any chance that the Mavericks had of advancing. While the Mavericks would have liked to play better during the tournament, Magers points out that the team has come a long way since the first practices in September. “It’s been fun coaching these guys,” Magers said. “We
have such great chemistry. In the fall, you try to project things and it’s quite a bit different, which shows we are balanced. We have guys that can run and we knew the pitching would be there ... These guys are going to look back 25-30 years from now and remember that week in North Carolina.” The Mavericks will lose
players such as Lenton and infielder Kosuke Hattori to graduation and for them, the season, although may have ended prematurely, was a memorable one. “It’s a team that in the beginning of the year, you wouldn’t have expected them to make it this far,” Lentonsaid. “A lot more freshman are playing now than in the past
and it was just a fun ride these last two months getting to the playoffs. Having a chance to compete for the national championship — that’s the way to go out.”
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Sports
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
THE KID’S TAKE
Decision 2010: the LeBron James saga KYLE RATKE
sports editor Now that we are done overreacting and have established that we shouldn’t jump off the LeBron James bandwagon just yet, we face the question that we have talked about likely more than he has talked about: Where is James heading next year? This move will change the NBA and change the legacy of Mr. James. So yeah, I would say it’s a little important. It’s like your first pick in a fantasy football draft — times 100. The choice isn’t between Adrian Peterson or Chris Johnson, it’s where the best basketball player in the world (he won the MVP award this year, remember?) is choosing to live, build his brand and quite possibly bring a few championships to. Let’s take a quick look at the hometown team:
The Cleveland Cavaliers Here’s what my buddy Beau Illikainen said (via Facebook. No wonder why I am single.): If LeBron is to stay in Cleveland, he’s going to want a fresh start of sorts. Likely as in a new coach, a new general manager and new pieces. New pieces that fit better and new pieces that include a legitimate wing man. A second star. Failure to accomplish those things will likely result in LeBron leaving. I couldn’t agree with Beau more. Cleveland needs to throw everything they have at the guy, money, players, coach, G.M., a prostitute who will clean his room and take care of Delonte West. More on this later. I don’t care what it is. LeBron may think he has many choices on where to play, but he doesn’t. He needs to pick a place where he can win. Well, he has proven he can win in the regular season with the Cavs, just not the playoffs. This is the thing. He needs to make sure before anything else, if he is considering Cleveland, that he ORDERS the Cavs to bring in the best of the best. Maybe Jeff Van Gundy at the helm and sign a player such as Chris Bosh. Bosh is the only superstar that makes sense to put by James. A power forward that doesn’t play exclusively inside. When James drives, Bosh will step out, but can still play the post. This could work great. Think Blake Griffin and Chris Kamen. Okay, maybe not. Just making sure you’re still paying attention. Leave Moe Williams at the point, sign Ray Allen to the mid level exception (why wouldn’t Allen want to play
in this role? Not a main guy, but can just nail 3’s and be the hero when he needs to be. Win a title or two and retire. Sounds like peaches and cream to me, folks), James at the three, Bosh at the four and ditch Shaq and enter subpar center here. If we have learned anything during these playoffs, it’s simply that in order to beat the Magic, you don’t need a center to stop Dwight Howard, you just need a good defense to contain him, ex. The Boston Celtics. Get Antawn Jamison and Anthony Parker to come off the bench. This could be a great team and Cleveland is desperate to keep its hometown star home, James just needs to demand it. But does he want to? This line-up means less pressure on James to be the true No. 1 star, but maybe more importantly takes pressure off Williams. Williams is cash when you see him on
Sportscenter, but name the last meaningful playoff game where he blew you away. Exactly. He’s like me in Madden. I can go 16-0 in the regular season, but as soon as I play someone online, I freak out and get killed. That’s what Williams has done the last two years in the playoffs — freaked out and got killed. Side note: What if the rumors about Delonte West sleeping with LeBron’s mom were true? Could this be the funniest situation? Should I feel bad? Good. I don’t. I don’t know who is at wrong here though, West or the mother. This might need its own article. Why it makes sense: With all of this LeBron hate, it would be easy for him to bolt. But think of this: What if James stays in Cleveland, stays loyal to his fans and his city, demands a winning team and
becomes the leader he was expected to be? What if these playoffs are exactly he needed? Something to fire him up to tell him, hey “King James, this shit’s chess, it ain’t checkers” (thanks Denzel Washington and Training Day for that.) Why it doesn’t make sense: Why wouldn’t he want to get a new start? Go to a team that will give him exactly what he wants and be able to go to a big market to give him some more money. For those of you who don’t know, James loves the money, just like any other
25-year-old. The green will have a big say in this, let’s just hope not more than the chance of winning. For more of Kyle’s blog, head to thekidstake.com. You can also follow Kyle on Facebook (The Kid’s Take), Twitter (Kyle_Ratke) and listen to his podcast which is posted every Thursday at msureporter.com
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Variety Wednesday, May 26, 2010
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Summer movies start out crawling JACOB BOHROD | variety editor
Favreau’s ‘Iron Man 2’ rusty
In 2008, the first “Iron Man” garnered a wealth of deserved acclaim. Calculated and wildly entertaining, it seemed to fully put to rest any worries over Hollywood’s treatment of beloved comic series. Who would have guessed the second installment would reverse everything its predecessor fought for. In “Iron Man 2, ”the incorrigible Tony Stark (Robert Downy Jr.) faces further metaphorical roadblocks in the form of a poison that rapidly threatens his life the more he uses the Iron Man suit. Realizing his own death is near, Tony embraces his self-destruction and throws out his old snarky ‘tude in favor for a much goofier, cartoonish one. The film preoccupies itself with a bland, one-hit-wonder villain, the copycat and whip-wielding Ivan
Vanko (Mickey Rourke), in a deadend sideshow that takes a backseat to the film’s ultimate concern with the coming “Avengers” spin-off. The film unsuccessfully tries to keep an array of cluttered characters spinning on their respective poles, resulting in broken glass for Scarlett Johansson (who web photo reaches way out of her bounds as the seductive Natasha Romanoff), among others. “Iron Man 2” doesn’t go as far as to cut off interest in the metallic super one-linesman and the explosive action he brings with him (even if it is under-represented) — it only places hefty pressure on the next effort to save the series and deliver as the first did.
‘Robin Hood’ misses the mark Ridley Scott does not need a lesson in filmmaking. The 72-year-old is responsible for some of cinema’s most iconic moments, and although he seems to have devoted the last 10 years trying to recreate “Gladiator” (at least in terms of storytelling and character), the director deserves credit for the underrated “Black Hawk Down” and “American Gangster” of recent years. However, his latest attempt at reliving 2000, “Robin Hood,” is a vapid wrong-turn for the aging Englishman. The film follows crusades defector Robin Longstride (played emotionlessly by all-around man’s man and Scott’s go-to Russell Crowe) as he discovers his past in the small town of Nottingham. Marion (Cate Blanchett), Little John (Kevin Durand) and the rest of the regulars are present but are ultimately
blotted out by a needy, heavy-handed story arc. Only by the end is it perfectly clear that this is an origins story, not the “Robin Hood” we all expected. This means that only in the closing moments does Robin gain his surname and Prince John and the Sheriff of web photo Nottingham turn into his sworn enemies. Instead, viewers are subject to a flat father-son tale and some mumbo-jumbo about English freedom and brotherhood. Overall, “Robin Hood” is simply the wrong story; Scott succumbs, as he is like to do, to awarding an enormous amount of attention and skill to an undeserved subject.
‘Babies’ a sharp documentary
Ponijao is from Namibia; Mari is from Tokyo; Bayar is from Mongolia; Hattie is from San Francisco: They’re babies. They shake, cry, crawl, wiggle, throw fits, spill water, eat, smile, interact with other life, and sit there. This is “Babies.” “Babies,” directed by Thomas Balmes, achieves marvelous simplicity even when not taken at (baby)face value. A documentarian’s documentary, the film wishes only to record and relay, but, of course, in doing so it speaks volumes more than the googoo-ga-gas of its subject matter. The film is a masterwork of editing. Finding 80 minutes of entertaining baby footage among two years worth of recordings can’t be easy. One moment that may have been an amazing shot that was difficult to cap-
ture could very well have not fit into the context of the film, or, worse yet, may have just been too boring. The film correlates footage of the four babies in a methodical and mesmerizing manner, always in an effort to examine humanity in its most basic and global form. “Babies” wants us to think about how we get from the people we see on screen to those we web photo live with and around every day. In short: we aren’t so different after all. Bruno Coulais’ plucky and upbeat score makes this film possible, and could be appreciated in any context. In the end, alas, it is only babies. A tad thin and more worthy as a National Geographic Channel miniseries, the film doesn’t quite advance past toddlerhood.
SNL skit hits the big screen
NATE BRENNAN | editor in chief
MacGruber will perform oral sex on you if you just give him one more chance. In the filmic adaptation of the “Saturday Night Live” sketch starring Will Forte, the titular character pleads and begs and promises to get on his hands and knees if those in charge will just give him one more chance to save the world from the evil playboy Deiter Von Cunth. If you noticed the difficulty in delicately saying this antagonist’s last name, don’t worry: the humor is not lost on the writers of the film. Nor are any potential nuances the character MacGruber provides.
As MacGruber pleads for onemore-chances, it’s almost as the film “MacGruber” itself is pleading for you to give one more chance to the filmic versions of “SNL” skits. Whereas recent sketchinto-films such as “The Ladies Man” and “Superstar” from the NBC program have been cast asunder as web photo tired hour-anda-half-long versions of their three-minute counterparts, “MacGruber” learns from SNL Studios’ past mistakes by focusing on its quirky characters and leaning heavily on a simplistic storyline that harkens back to the best of campy ’80s and early ’90s.
“Alan Wake” looks to terrify gamers -- Page 10
Page 10 • Reporter
Variety
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
New psychological thriller comes to XB360 DEAN GORDEN
staff writer One of the most highly touted summers in gaming history kicks off with “Alan Wake,” a triple-A release from developer Remedy Entertainment. Having been first announced at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Xbox 360 owners have long awaited this survival thriller which hit store shelves this past week. “Alan Wake” comes as a genre-defining title, establishing wonderful new directions in video game presentation. The game follows bestselling crimefiction author Alan Wake and his wife Alice as they vacate to the town of Bright Falls. Located in the Pacific Northwest, the couple’s summer get-away is meant to help Alan escape from his crippling writer’s block that has plagued him for over two years. Players first enter Bright Falls as Alan and Alice drive through the town on their way to their rented cottage on Cauldron Lake. After a fight has Alan storming out of the rustic home, Alan hears a scream and comes racing back to the cabin only to see that Alice has been thrown into the lake’s dark waters. Alan plunges into the lake after her, only to find the blackness of the waters underbelly. “Alan Wake” unfolds as gamers scavenge the town in search of clues as to the whereabouts of Alice. Along the way, players soon come to understand the darkness and secrets of Bright Falls while encountering the violence of the town’s zombielike “Taken.”
The story is presented episodically, containing six in all. Each episode marks a new stage of the game, beginning with a “previously on Alan Wake” short cinematic and ends with a song from the game’s wonderful soundtrack, which includes tracks such as “War” by Poets of the Fall and “Space Oddity” by David Bowie. This form of presentation gives the player a televised interpretation of the story, engaging its gamers in a way rarely done before. While completing the game, clues are found in the form of mysterious manuscript pages that read like a crime novel. Television sets found throughout the town broadcast “Night Springs,” a clever ode to “The Twilight Zone” which offers insights into the bizarre events of the town’s history. “Alan Wake” transcends its own medium through this collaborative form of storytelling, giving muchneeded direction to a genre that has stumbled in recent years. The controls of the game are fairly tight and player-friendly. Although the third-person camera angle isn’t up to par with the groundbreaking over-theshoulder shooting of “Resident Evil 4,” it never seems to present any obstacles or distractions. Light is used as a weapon against “the Taken,” and the game’s lighting is executed beautifully. Wake is equipped with a nice assortment of different weapons and flashlights, although some encounters with monsters of the dark are best defeated by simply running for your life.
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“Alan Wake” may not offer anything revolutionary in its game-play as it takes on a “Silent Hill”-like identity, but is a must play thanks to its inventive cinematic staging and polished environments. It stands as a stepping-stone for future titles by embracing the cinematic experience of television along with the storytelling style of a novel, successfully incorporating both into the framework of its video game medium. web photo
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