INSIDEBEAT APRIL 1, 2010 • VOL. 28, NO. 9
THE WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE OF THE DAILY TARGUM
Retro Rewind
Revisit some of your favorite childhood friends
Column
April 1, 2010
EDITORIAL BOARD
Inside Beat • Page 2
rant
S TACY D OUEK .................................... EDITOR MICHAEL MALVASIO......................ASSOCIATE EMILY SCHACHTMAN.....................ASSISTANT
EDITOR EDITOR
ARIBA ALVI...............................................................TV EDITOR JASON STIVES.....................................................MUSIC EDITOR ROSANNA VOLIS...............................................FASHION EDITOR NATALIA TAMZOKE.....................................THEATER EDITOR AMANDA LITCHKOWSKI....................................ART EDITOR ADRIENNE VOGT...................................................COPY EDITOR RAMON DOMPOR................................................PHOTO EDITOR EMILY SCHACHTMAN............................................FILM EDITOR NIDHI SARAIYA...................................................BOOKS EDITOR
THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS TO INSIDE BEAT : Emily Gabriele, Sukanya Dutta, Alex Natanzon Cover Photo Courtesy of Artist Voodoodoll Master Rutgers Student Center 126 College Avenue, Suite 431 New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Phone (732) 932-2013 Fax (732) 246-7299 Email beat@dailytargum.com Web www.inside-beat.com Advertising in Inside Beat, Call (732) 932-7051 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Why I Quit the Business BY JASON STIVES
tried to teach me in Almost Famous about being a music journalist just feels like a lost cause. I can’t pull in the big bucks and I will be part of the most hated men in the professional world outside of public relations people—Oh wait, that’s what I want to do now too. This childlike mentality that has acted as a safety net through college made me hope I could make something out of being a journalist. I really miss the times when teachers lied straight to my face about the real world; the ones that made you believe you could be that fireman or astronaut you thought about when you played with Tonka Trucks. But as my col-
MUSIC EDITOR
At this moment I am single handedly typing the greatest column I will ever write, mainly because it will be the last one I ever write—or so I believe. After much deliberation and three cups of coffee I have come to the conclusion that my kind of journalism isn’t really needed in society. Just as our cover story this week harkens back to our childhood imagination, so does my wishful thinking about where I thought I would be going at the end of college. This isn’t to say my life is over, but anything Cameron Crowe
legiate career and the real world have shown me, I still don’t have my space food and I don’t know how to put out a house fire. It may all stem from realizations that the college lifestyle imbeds into our brains after four years and filling out multiple FAFSA forms. The fact that the real world just kicks your ass and people will step on you has hurt my mindset. Not to say that realizing your dreams is impossible, but life often decides a different path. I’m not giving up writing by any means, and maybe I’m not actually giving up journalism completely, but consider this my resignation from my dream job.
Characters We Love Ginger Foutley
Henry
Main character on As Told By Ginger
Host of KaBlam!
Debbie Thornberry Sister of Eliza on The Wild Thornberrys
Reggie Rocket Sister of Otto Rocket on Rocket Power
Norbert Foster Beaver and Dagget Doofus Beaver Main characters on The Angry Beavers ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF NICKELODEON
Fashion • Film
April 1, 2010
Inside Beat • Page 3
The Runaways The Runaways The Film Floria Sigismondi | B-
BY JASON STIVES MUSIC EDITOR
The Runaways tries really hard to be the 2004 documentary Edgeplay: A Film About The Runaways, which takes the best bits of the band’s story and fleshes it out with flimsy camera effects and a boatload of drama. But it would be unfair to say that the film fails in capturing the essence of the r o l l e r coaster ride that surrounded the short-lived career of rock’s first all-girl group. The story starts in 1975, at the band’s inception in Los Angeles. Dakota Fanning plays The Runaways jailbait singer Cherie Currie, a girl too innocent for rock ‘n’ roll but not for the lifestyle. The balance to her lack of bravado comes in the form of brassy and street-hardened guitarist Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart). From sleeping in crowded hotel rooms and indulging in the much-touted temptations of sex, drugs and
rock ‘n’ roll, The Runaways rose to a stardom that would supposedly make them bigger than The Beatles, only to plummet back down. For substantive purposes, The Runaways is a good film for those unfamiliar with the band’s career. While their whole stor y isn’t entirely told and there are minor inaccuracies in the portrayal of the band, the cast and crew were able to recreate the brooding and grungy feel of late ’70s excess. Atmosphere aside, there is a lot — both positive and negative — to be said about the cast. Stewar t embodies Jett with her mouthy demeanor and noholds-bar red attitude about being in a rock band. Sixteenyear-old Fanning still seems too innocent, but she takes on Currie like a house on fire, playing up a teenager glad to be free from her own world and immersed instead in the world
of fame. Special recognition must go to Michael Shannon’s por trayal of the band’s infamous manager/producer Kim Fowley, a man so intent on being the next Phil Spector that he pushed ever yone involved to disturbing and dangerous limits. The rest of the cast merely falls by the wayside, acting as background noise. This includes Scout Taylor Compton (Rob Zombie’s Halloween), whose performance of guitarist Lita Ford is much like Ford herself: unnecessar y and unpleasant. In the end, The Runaways is enjoyable even if it is a run-of-themill cautionary tale. Despite bringing nothing completely special to the table, it still is quite a captivating story for those looking a decent rock ‘n’ roll history lesson.
The Fashion BY ROSANNA VOLIS FASHION EDITOR
Critics may be pegging The Runaways as nothing more than a typical “rock star” movie. But who wouldn’t love to be a rock star? The fans, the music and — most of all — the clothes make the career irresistible. Most of our generation probably only know Joan Jett from her hit song “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” and probably only know that because of the Britney Spears cover. This is saddening because Jett should be known for so much more than that. A fashion pioneer, Jett and her all-girl rock band — the first in history — shaped not only music but most of the iconic hardrock image we have come to embrace today. Dubbed the “Godmother of Punk,” Jett was known for her tough image. The singer still rocks just as hard at age 51 in her signature all-black leather ensembles and jet-black hair. Jett helped produce the movie and also aided Kristen Stewart in capturing the singer’s rough but sexy style on film. For The Runaways, Carol Beadle, a stylist and costume designer who has dressed Kanye West and David Bowie, wanted the fashion in the movie to feel authentic. “These girls didn’t live a Brady Bunch life. They listened to Bowie and Suzi Quatro and Led Zeppelin and The Stones, and you want that to be reflected in what they wear. Otherwise it would be too pop, not enough rock,” Beadle told Glamour magazine. Getting most of the clothes from Palace Costumes in Los Angeles, Beadle created her own vision of what she wanted the characters to wear based on pictures she had of their real life counterparts. This meant lots of platforms, leather and denim. Some moments in the movie, however, required spot-on recreations of the pieces Jett and
lead singer Cherie Currie wore in the ’70s. When The Runaways toured in Japan, Currie wore lingerie on stage, a huge deal in the time before Britney and her nudecolored sequin attire became the norm. Beadle wanted to get the look just right for a pivotal moment in fashion and music histor y. She told Glamour that the band’s influence on the fashion world is extremely underappreciated: “If you trace the history of girls in bands and what they wore, they should definitely be in that small book of early, super-influential girls. I think Cherie doing that was totally innovative and unique and even pre-Deborah Harr y.” Another piece she replicated was Jett’s infamous red jumpsuit, also from the Japan tour. The most fun for Beadle was dressing The Runaways’ manager Kim Fowley. “I loved the outfits I put him in. There was just no way I could have redone all of those wild outfits verbatim, so I just studied any photo I could find of him and kind of looked at what he would have been looking at for inspiration.” Being in London would have made the manager more glam than the average American, Beadle said. If there is one thing anyone can take away from watching The Runaways — other than the amazing clothing — it would be to put yourself out there and be fearless. So grab your aviators, concert Tshirt, faded denim vest and platform leather sandals. Go out there and don’t give a damn about your bad reputation. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THERUNAWAYS.COM, FANPOP.COM AND ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM
COURTESY OF ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM
Hot Tub Time Machine Steve Pink | B
BY ALEX NATANZON STAFF WRITER
There’s nothing like going away to a winter ski paradise with a few wild and quirky buddies, consuming mass amounts of alcohol in a glowing hot tub — and waking up in the year 1986. Hot Tub Time Machine delivers the over-the-top and raunchy humor that has made films like The Hangover a hit. While the film overflows with outrageous jokes, it fails to develop the characters’ back-stories enough. As a result, the film is left with nothing to carr y out but an overabundance of jokes and generic ’80s references. Hot Tub Time Machine focuses on four down-on-their-luck friends. Adam (John Cusack) has been dumped by his girlfriend, Lou (Rob Corddry, The Daily Show) is a narcissistic alcoholic, Nick (Craig Robinson, The Office) is a former musician reduced to life as a dog groomer, and Jacob (Clark Duke, Greek) is Adam’s video game obsessed nephew. After Lou is hospitalized for a supposed suicide attempt, Adam and Nick decide to cheer him up by embarking on a trip to Kodiak Valley ski resort, the party spot of their youth. After a wild night of drinking and drug consumption in their mystical hotel hot tub, the friends awaken in the year 1986. Mayhem ensues when they attempt to reenact the weekend exactly as they remember it
so as not to temper with the fragile fabric of time. What better scenario to get engulfed in humor than the 1980s? It is all too satisfying to see Hot Tub Time Machine parody the decade’s clichés, from portable walkmans and still-popular MTV to outlandish haircuts and goofy clothing styles. Unfortunately, the humor does not make up for the film’s lack of character development and abundance of plot holes. The cast is a roundup of familiar comedy personas. The mix pays off since the funniest parts of the film involve the witty dialogue fired back and forth between the friends. But because little is done to touch on each story, Clark Duke’s character gets little attention when they are transported back in time, and he only serves as a nagging voice of reason. A few stars make cameo appearances in the film. Chevy Chase plays a mysterious hot tub repairman, and Crispin Glover, best-known for playing the nerdy father in the Back to the Future trilogy also shows up as a one-armed bellhop. Despite the fun ’80s references, the film so lacks in developing its characters that it ends up being one of the silly and stupid comedies that we have grown to know and love. It is not recommended to see this movie if you are expecting biting satires like Monty Python’s Life of Brian. But $10 will not go to waste if you are ready and able to laugh in excess at a bunch of dudes’ shenanigans.
P f o n o i t a Animharacters from a Long Ag C e l b a v o L
Bangin’ on a trashcan BY ARIBA ALVI TV EDITOR
Who can forget about Doug Funnie? Doug, who moves to the town of Bluffington, has an uber-cool dog named Porkchop, writes in a diary and has an underwear-over-his-shorts alter ego. Doug, which premiered in 1991, is the story of a grade school kid, who has some six strands of hair, wears a sweater vest and goes through some interesting adventures in life with Porkchop and his best friend Skeeter Valentine. He has a huge crush on Patti Mayonnaise, and is constantly bullied by trailer-trash Roger Klotz. Then there’s the array of characters to even it all out like Beebe Bluff (the rich girl), Judy (the older sister), Mr. Dink (the wacky neighbor), among many others. Plus you have Doug’s many alter egos: Quailman who is based off of Superman, Smash Adams based off James Bond and Race Canyon who is Doug’s Indian Jones. Doug is a naïve kid; a character trait that made dealing with pre-adolescence not so bad. He uses his diary to sort it all out, taking the viewers through his daydreams, which are often convoluted parodies of popular culture. Like when Roger invites everyone over to his house except for poor Doug, who begins to feel left out. Doug later imagines himself as Quailman battling Dr. Klotzenstein, the mad scientist who turns all Bluffington citizens into mindless zombies. Sound familiar? More than anything Doug is relatable. Who wasn’t scared of going to the dentist, or having their best friend move away or having a crush on someone but being too afraid to tell them? Some of us still go through these issues. Doug gave kids a new way of looking at things and solving their problems, and he reminded us all of how powerful an imagination could be. One of the most memorable things about the show is the fact that all of the characters are different colors: Doug is cream, Skeeter is blue, Patti is orange, Beebe is purple and Roger is green. It makes it easier to remember who’s who but hard to copy for Halloween. But what most of us remember best are things like the singing group The Beets (“I Need More Allowance”) and songs like “Banging on a Trash Can.” Also, how liver and onions really isn’t as bad as you think, or that the big bully is afraid of silly stuff like the neematoad. The show has become a cult classic for kids of the 90’s. It was innocent, funny and mellow and no matter how old we get, Doug will always be a part of our memories and a part of our childhood.
COURTESY OF THE-OP.COM
Move it, footballhead! BY NIDHI SARAIYA BOOKS EDITOR
COURTESY OF NICKELODEON.COM
Alright, let’s come clean. All of us at one point growing up wished we could be Arnold. Outwardly, he’s nothing special: average looks, smarts and popularity in school. Yet he has a sweet high-tech bedroom, lives with a pet pig, and rocks an outgrown blue baseball cap on his odd little football head. It is hard to explain why, but Arnold is just an awesome kid. Nickelodeon really struck gold when they started airing Hey Arnold! in 1996. The show follows the day to day adventures of Arnold, his fellow fourth graders at P.S. 118, and the dysfunctional boarders that he lives with in his grandparents’ boarding home. Like any kid his age, Arnold encounters many problems while with his friends and family. But unlike most kids, Arnold takes it upon himself to solve these problems. Whether it was getting his classmates to stop picking on the new teacher, helping the city butcher get elected as mayor, or forcing a good-for-nothing boarder to get a job, Arnold could fix just about anything. Of course, Arnold’s can-do attitude and idealist outlook often create dilemmas too. The show would be nothing without its diverse cast. Arnold’s best friend Gerald is the coolest kid on the block and the keeper of urban legends. Other friends include stylish snob Rhonda, chubby bully Harold, bad luck magnet Eugene, brainy Phoebe and best friends Stinky and Sid. At home, grandparents Phil and Pookie lead the pack as the landlords to Ernie the short demolition engineer, My Hyunh, Asian immigrant by day and countr y music star by night and lazy bum Oscar Kokoshka. But the true star of Hey Arnold! is angry tomboy and Arnold’s secret admirer, Helga G. Pataki. At school, she is the tough girl that orders everyone around. However, when she’s all alone, she hides that bossy persona to reveal a sappy romantic side that clandestinely pines for the one boy that treats her nicely. It’s easy to pity her when she writes cheesy love poetry in her diary, but she ruins it by tearing up her poems and turning them into spitballs aimed for Arnold’s head. For a kids’ show, Hey Arnold! tackles just about ever ything. It has the typical school-based plots about cheating on exams and putting on a production of Romeo and Juliet. Yet, it counterbalances those episodes with ones about a school takeover by the class nut job and a field trip to see Carmen (with a dream sequence twist). It has the usual holiday specials and superhero stories mixed with wacky episodes about Veteran’s Day and Monkeyman. It even has cult classic episodes featuring the fictional stars Stoop Kid and Dino Spumoni. When it comes to Arnold and his life, you never know what to expect.
s e g A Pastood
h d l i h C o g
In a feel-good trip down memory lane, Inside Beat asks its staff which childhood marvels gave them the best sense of nostalgia. Take a look at these blasts from the past which take us back to those hours spent in front of the TV after school. Hey, you might even feel a bit more innocent too.
A baby’s gotta do, what a baby’s gotta do
BY AMANDA AMANULLAH STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF NICKELODEON.COM
Who would have ever thought that a little girl with an innocent smile and cute purple dress could make it her 3-year old life’s goals to sabotage her younger cousin’s plans, blame a group of babies for her mistakes and obsessively attempt to steal chocolate chip cookies whenever they’re in sight? The spoiled Angelica Pickle, a devious pig-tailed brat is just one of the original, memorable Rugrats characters of the 90’s. Today, you may think that the idea of over-intelligent babies (a.k.a. Stewie) has already been done. But Rugrats is unique, original and good ole family-humored. Tommy, the bald and pant less boy and Chuckie the redheaded, four-eyed best friend are very different from each other. With the former looking for adventure and the latter trying to play it safe, their adventures are usually the highlight of the thirty minute episodes. Along with Phil and Lil, the twins, they make their own messes and play through epic explorations in their own backyards. Through 172 successful episodes, this cartoon takes the viewer inside the playpen and into the sandbox revealing children’s vivid imaginations. Yes, these babies could run anything past the adults. Characters like the emotional mom with puffy orange hair, the busy working mom glued to her cell phone, the worrying single dad with multiple allergies and of course, the story-telling, snoring Grandpa are all examples of real life grownups. What makes the show so amusing is that these babies who have difficulty walking and who hilariously mispronounce words always manage to cause a state of crisis and confusion for the adults. And, when the grown-ups don’t know who to blame, they can only ask Angelica, who is at that age where she understands both baby talk and adult-language. Unfortunately for Tommy, Angelica was always quick to blame the “stupid babies.” The language barrier doesn’t stop the two generations from being close and loving: Grandpa needs the kids to listen to his tall tales and Stew Pickles needs his son to help him stay on top of his crazy basement inventions. Further more, the communication factor allows us to wonder about what babies really know and how much we knew as babies. Watching Rugrats as a college student is a heart warming experience. Whether it’s the infamous instrumental theme song or a Reptar wearing ice skates, Rugrats will, above all, make you laugh and appreciate the innocence of childhood.
It’s an animatron, way more retro BY GENA VARRICHIO STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF STARPULSE.COM
Can you sing the entire “I’m the Baby, Gotta Love Me” song from the show Dinosaurs? I can. It’s one of those childhood memories I’ll never forget. Many kids adored this show about the slightly dysfunctional Sinclair family of animatronic dinosaurs, living oddly modern lives in a prehistoric era. But, as with many TV shows and movies from childhood, I had no idea just how many of the jokes and thematic concerns were flying right over my innocent little head like speeding, innuendo-laden jet planes. While on my stroll down memor y lane, I discovered that this show is actually incredibly self-aware: we are constantly reminded that television has integrated itself into our lives but at the same time, if it wasn’t such an important part, we wouldn’t know the Sinclars had even existed. A great many of the themes in this little gem went right over my pre-pubescent head, and are exponentially funnier now that my mind has been perverted by young-adulthood. In retrospect, this is probably one of those shows my mother would have labeled as “crude” before forbidden to watch it — but that never happened. Illicit substance use, sex, sexual harassment in the workplace, teenage rebellion, marital roles, proper treatment of elders, commercialization of holidays — take your pick, it’s all covered in this delightfully tongue-in-cheek sitcom. A significant group of people old enough to be attending college may not be familiar with Dinosaurs, or any other shows of its vintage. However, it’s not your fault. Dinosaurs was on the air star ting in 1991, so if your bir th-year is remotely close to that, you will have spent its four seasons on-air crawling through various significant cognitive milestones, rather than watching a dinosaur-themed puppet show on ABC. But for your own sakes, catch up on this show. Look it up on that, I don’t know, Internet or whatever newfangled thing you kids are all addicted to. And thank me later; that “Gotta Love Me” song goes over great at par ties.
Page 6 • Inside Beat
An Online Guide to Art
BY AMANDA LITCHKOWSKI
April 1, 2010
Music • Books • Theater • Art
Broadway Diva of the Month
• ARTS EDITOR
Art is always happening, and sometimes it gets a little overwhelming. Fortunately there are critics, journalists and artsy folk who sort through the crowded art world and discover what’s worth seeing and what’s not. For those always interested in gallery hopping in New York City but are never sure of where to start, the following Web sites are here to help. www.dailycandy.com DailyCandy is similar to the Times, but more fun and lessknown. The Web site features personalized e-mails tailored to a certain city of choice. Although DailyCandy’s focus mostly lies in fashion, beauty and food, its Weekend Guide often highlights a new exhibition that is popular among its young and slightly hipster staff but overlooked by big-name art snobs. www.nymag.com New York Magazine is the city’s all-knowing culture magazine, and its art section never fails to deliver. Encompassing reviews, profiles and informational articles, New York Magazine’s art segment is fresh and witty without being pretentious, which is a rare feat in the realm of New York City art. Be sure to check out “Critic’s Picks” and “ART Agenda” to get the full scoop on the city’s most recent art offerings. www.nytimes.com Not only does The New York Times supply readers with immediate global coverage, but it also shows that the art world can generate actual news. With objective news pieces, reviews and a comprehensive exhibitions calendar, the top-notch newspaper’s two art sections (Arts, which is published on weekdays, and Weekend Arts) are of the best. Be sure to read the cover stor y — it’s always fascinating and shockingly unique.
Liza Minnelli
“Audiences are the same all over the world, and if you entertain them, they’ll respond.” COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES
Birth name: Liza May Minnelli Born: March 12, 1946 (Hollywood, Calif.) Trademark: Zany yet versatile actor with a strong mezzosoprano belter voice. Inspiration: It runs in the family. Her mother is the legendary Judy Garland (Wizard of Oz), and her father, Vicente Minnelli, is a well-known director. Notable Theatrical Performances: Flora the Red Menace (1965), Liza (1974), Chicago (1975, The Act (1977), Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? (1978), The Owl and the Pussycat (1979), The Rink (1984), Liza’s Back! (2002), Liza’s at the Palace...! (2008 - 2009) Signature Tune: Rendition of the Kander and Ebb classic “New York, New York” Fun Fact: She is one of only a few artists who have received all four of the entertainment industry’s most prestigious awards: the Oscar, the Tony, the Emmy and the Grammy. — Natalia Tamzoke
New Books in April
• Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel – April 13
Yann Martel’s breakthrough novel Life of Pi won our hearts. In Martel’s latest book, Beatrice and Virgil, the animal characters, allegorical messages and confusing plotline return with a vengeance. The protagonist of the story, Henry, is a bestselling author with writer’s block. Passing his time until he is able to write again, Henry stumbles upon a fan letter containing a short story, a play and a request for his help. Henry decides to track down this mysterious fan and ends up at a taxidermist’s shop, owned by a man also named Henry. It’s at this point when the story really becomes wacky. In agreeing to help Henry the taxidermist, Henry the writer goes through a journey led by a donkey named Beatrice and a monkey named Virgil, whose names allude to the guiding figures of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Ultimately this journey takes Henry through the hell, purgatory and heaven of the Holocaust, and cures his writer’s block. Like a modern Aesop, Martel uses quirky lovable characters and animals to convey a greater message. However, the endings to his fables leave us with more questions than answers.
• BOOKS EDITOR
• Anthill by E. O. Wilson – April 5 Edward Wilson combines his work as a naturalist and as a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction writer into his debut novel Anthill. The stor y follows Raphael Cody, a curious boy from Clayville, Ala., who spends his summers exploring the wildlife in the beautiful Nokobee forest. Raff loves to wander into dangerous par ts of the woods with his cousin Junior and obser ve the movements of ants in their colonies. Even as Raff grows into an adult, his passion for nature stays strong. He goes to Har vard Law School and becomes an environmental lawyer, determined to defend nature on the legal front. But when zealous builders attempt to tear down areas of the Nokobee lands, Raff returns home to fight a personal battle — one that he plans to win at any cost. With an eye for all forms of life, from the majestic trees that reach the sky to the diligent little ants barely visible on the ground, Wilson forces readers to reevaluate humanity’s role in biosphere.
MGMT BY JASON STIVES MUSIC EDITOR
COURTESY OF FANPOP.COM
BY NIDHI SARAIYA
While many have expressed worries of the rock ‘n’ roll stardom that followed MGMT’s 2008 debut Oracular Spectacular, none have feared a sudden departure from the sound that made them famous in the underground music scene during the past two years. Without throwing any caution to the wind, the band has returned with their highly anticipated and highly experimental sophomore ef for t Congratulations. Taking great influence from artists of the past, the band launches full force into a flurry of low-fi ’80s bliss on “It’s Working,” a musical ode to acts like The Smiths, with its amplified backbeat and bass line, but with lyrics that challenge their sudden stardom. “But I’ve got someone to make reports/that tell me how my money’s spent/to book my stays and draw my blinds/So I can’t see what’s really there,” sings Andrew VanWyngarden with a touch of malice under the fleshed-out synth sound.
Congratulations | A
Both VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser have produced something that defeats the expectations that follow their reputation. Still, the band harnesses psychedelic gems with vibrant images of a failing youthful culture (“Flash Delirium”) and a society paved with obsessions of death and destr uction (“I Found A Whistle”). For a band that was lumped in with acts like Passion Pit and Vampire Weekend as being the future of rock music, they have regressed to a sound that mirrors past acts like Roxy Music and Sparks. Reflecting musicians that are one step ahead, the band showcases flamboyant fast-paced tributes (“Brian Eno”) and British beat homage (“Song for Dan Treacy”), only to remind us their own originality on the 12-minute opus “Siberian Breaks.” If anything, MGMT has once again delivered an album that is passionate and borderline pop-centric, while injecting issues and concerns into songs that focus on environmental discourse and a society fearing the changes to come.
Music
April 1, 2010
Inside Beat • Page 7
The Dillinger Escape Plan BY STACY DOUEK EDITOR
To many, the sounds emitted from any of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s works can be mistaken for a haphazardly thrown-together work of hardcore chaos. But, in fact, these New Jersey natives have just been per fecting their mathcore aesthetic, a dissonant and
complicated style of music that uses complex rhythm patterns and unusual time signatures. The Dillinger Escape Plan expands on the possibilities of music through a refreshing outlet — free of poppy synthesizers, resolved consonance and conventional verse-chorus song structures. Dubbed as 2010’s most anticipated release by several press media, this smack-inthe-face of an album continues to push the
boundaries of music through innovative uses of minor scales, not to mention an incredible amount of tempo changes to give you whiplash. The opening track on Option Paralysis, “Farewell, Mona Lisa,” quintessentially sums up ever ything the band stands for: a strong and crude opening filled with fast-paced guitar riffs and hoarse yelling that then segues into its polar opposite, a mellow and slowed-down segment with
COURTESY OF RELAPSE.COM
Option Paralysis | B clean, unsettling vocals that build up to an outstanding closer. The only downfall of this album is its accessibility. Although brilliant in its own right, to an untrained ear, the album begins to feel repetitive and a bit overwhelming for a straight listen-through; “Widower,” which serves as an impromptu interlude, is an exception. But for those who aren’t faint of heart, digging into the minutiae of Option Paralysis definitely pays off.
Cavo in Newark BY EMILY GABRIELE STAFF WRITER
The Prudential Center in Newark had yet to fill up as the opening band, Cavo, took the stage on March 21. This may have been quite discouraging to the band, but they didn’t let the lack of attendance take away from their energy. This was a typical scenario for an opening act, and their role was to hype up the crowd in preparation for the bands to come. During the tour, Cavo had the pleasure of prepping the crowd for their friends Lifehouse and Daughtr y. The band came out gruffly dressed with lead singer
Casey Walker messily wearing a plaid flannel button-down and form-fitting jeans. They opened with a feisty track titled, “We All Fall Down,” and from the get-go, the band’s ef for t to get the crowd engaged was successful. Following their opener, they played their second single, “Crash,” off their newly-released album, Bright Nights Dark Days. The crowd reacted positively and grew more involved in the band’s per formance, singing along to the sentimental lyrics. Cavo then launched into a duo of songs that calmed the mood as they played a track titled “My Little Secret,” followed by a song featured in the movie Transformers,
“Let It Go.” Both songs, despite their lulling tones, enticed the audience, which served very useful for the last two numbers that Cavo performed. The first was “Blame,” which the band’s drummer Chad La Roy and their guitarist Chris Hobbs said is the band’s favorite to play. To end the energetic set, the group played their album’s new single, “Champagne.” The gritty, raw vocals of the track, along with the passionate guitar riffs, got the crowd fully coaxed and prepared for the bands to come. Overall, Cavo’s appearance and vigor built up the crowd’s energy and eagerness to continue on through a night filled with dexterous alternative rock.
COURTESY OF HARDROCKHIDEOUT.COM
The Nose BY NATALIA TAMZOKE THEATER EDITOR
COURTESY OF THE MET
For most, the idea of an opera does not tend to include atonality, an absurd plotline and risky experimentation with projected images. But when conceived by The Metropolitan Opera, there is obviously a method to their madness. William Kentridge’s innovative and eclectic ar t meets Dmitri Shostakovich’s stunning musical turmoil in The Nose. The opera, based off of Nikolai Gogol’s short story, centers around Collegiate Assessor Kovalyov who wakes up one morning to find his nose has vanished. Losing his appeal to women and his dignity, he goes hunting to recover his missing appendage, only to discover the nose gallivanting about the town and decked out as a bureaucrat higher in the pecking order than Kovalyov. His work offers a funny look at human vanity and fear of being secondary in the pecking order. The Nose does not necessarily offer memorable tunes, though its prickly roots in expressionism highlight the story’s emotional complexities. The music’s piercing atonality and asymmetrical
The Metropolitan | A
rhythms reinforce the absurdities presented in Gogol’s tale. Most impressively, Russian conductor Valery Gergiev’s orchestra acts with immediate precision. Crashing cymbals and explosive trumpets excite the music while the sound of cherubic harps and tiptoeing xylophones heighten the incongruous composition. While Shostakovich’s music flatters the content, Kentridge’s projections add additional layers of meaning to the piece that might other wise fade into the Metropolitan Opera’s massive stage. Rhythm and visuals simultaneously complement one another and ser ve to build an eclectic operatic vision. The artwork flourishes in colors of black, white and red, aiming to create an enchanting clash of emotion. Incorporating archival footage, reality collides with dreamlike imagery as ballerina Anna Pavlova dances in sync with the music, and Shostakovich himself makes a guest appearance furiously plowing away at the piano. Most entertaining about these images is that noses overtake their faces. In fact, the prominent proboscis soon dominates the stage, dancing, causing mischief or just goofing around.
Though projections are predominantly used, the set simulates the same sense of chaos. Newspaper clippings in both Russian and English stand fixed against the proscenium, recreating the same captivating abrasiveness as the music. Performers seamlessly tie the production together with their silk-wrapped vocals and comical physicality. Particularly, Paulo Szot, playing Kovalyov, added a sympathetic sincerity to his role while still maintaining a cartoonish sense of pride and vanity. Previously seen in Lincoln Center’s production of South Pacific as the dashing Emile de Becque, Szot successfully breaks free of any previously mapped-out characterizations. Like a missing puzzle piece, he transforms himself to fit perfectly into this opera. Those whose operatic appetite is only satisfied in the classics department may find themselves cursing the day Shostakovich was handed a pen to write. But The Nose breathes fresh air onto the Metropolitan Opera stage. The stunningly coarse music does not fail to captivate as Kentridge helps draws together a piece that is a majestic and masterful visual experience.
Film Atom Egoyan | A
Chloe
April 1, 2010
COURTESY OF ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM
BY SUKANYA DUTTA STAFF WRITER
The slut is back, and with a vengeance. Amanda Seyfried advances past her breakthrough role in Mean Girls to fearlessly play the titular prostitute in the new film Chloe. The film also stars the unfailingly brilliant Julianne Moore and the subtle Liam Neeson. Directing this incredibly solid cast is one of Canada’s most interesting cinematic talents, Atom Egoyan, who is also an accomplished screenwriter. Actually, Chloe is the only movie he’s directed that he has not written. Perhaps trusting the script to someone else was Egoyan’s mistake, because even with everything going for it, the story of Chloe is just too tawdry. This is especially disappointing given the intense premise of the movie, which is a remake of the French film Nathalie…. The plot centers on the troubled marriage of Catherine (Moore)
and David Stewart (Neeson). Their relationship is in the cozy doldrums that comes after years of commitment, but Catherine is paranoid that David is seeking sexual excitement elsewhere. This fear is fueled by David’s constant bantering with his music students. Catherine disregards conventional methods like hiring a private investigator or a therapist, and instead opts to hire the call girl Chloe to seduce her husband. Chloe perceives that Catherine wants reconfirmation, not repudiation, of her suspicions, and embellishes her tales of her carnal encounters with David. With each meeting, Chloe’s obsession with Catherine increases. Moore doesn’t seem to have any qualms with risqué roles, as evidenced by her previous roles as a porn star (Boogie Nights), a depressed and secretly lesbian housewife (The Hours), and as a lesbian again in the upcoming feature The Kids are All Right. Her deeply psychological portrayals emphasize the inner turmoil of a character
Inside Beat • Page 8 over the obvious physical component. Catherine’s tragedy is that of insignificance: David needs her only for appearances, and her teenage son Michael (Max Thieriot) is becoming independent. When Catherine finally allows herself to be seduced by Chloe, one wonders if Catherine is actually a lesbian, or if maybe she is desperate for human comfort. Alas, Chloe is not content to be a character study, and doggedly pursues all of the hallmarks of erotic thrillers. It covers all of the necessary checkpoints, such as blackmail, regret, reconciliation and a happily insane ending. To balance out the highbrow trashiness, the screenplay attempts philosophical overtones by committing one of the worst mistakes possible in art: taking a metaphor too far. In Chloe’s case, the matter of invisibility is addressed well enough figuratively, but when approached literally, the movie all but becomes a Lifetime special.