THE MANEATER & +
MOVE THE KEY TO YOUR ENTERTAINMENT
03.01.13 VOLUME 11 ISSUE 20
WATCH & LEARN & LOVE COMO'S FILM EXPERTS SHARE THEIR TOP FESTIVAL PICKS 'STAY INSPIRED' SOUNDTRACK POST-DOCUMENTARY HIGHS DESERVE AN EQUALLY EMPOWERING PLAYLIST NOT YOUR AVERAGE MARCHING BAND CATCH THE QUIRKIEST MUSICAL ACT OF T/F TONIGHT
tRUe/fAlSe 10 YEARS OF
Table of contents
3 4 5 6 7
MEET DANNY BROWN MUSIC COLUMNIST WILL SCHMITT ON THE ADDERALL ADMIRAL MAKE TIME Columbia's favorite film fest celebrates its tenth year
ASK THE EXPERTS: TRUE/FALSE PICKS LINE UP FOR THESE FILMS FOR SURE PARKS AND REC AND WEDDINGS TV COLUMNIST JACK HOWLAND ON THE SITCOM'S PIVOTAL EPISODE
BEATS OF INSPIRATION A PLAYLIST TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THOSE ACTIVISM DOCUMENTARIES YOU'LL SEE OSCARS RECAP MOVIE COLUMNIST HANNAH BEDENKOP ON HOW THE ACADEMY AWARDS WERE A JOKE
The anatomy of a True/False pro Here’s how to prep for the most frantic hipster weekend of your life. david freyermuth | reporter
REVIEWING THE RED CARPET FASHION COLUMNIST MADISON FELLER ON AWARD SEASON STYLE THE AGE OF FURBYS POP CULTURE COLUMNIST JOYCE PENG ON THE '90S AND EARLY '00S
TOUR ODYSSEY HITS COLUMBIA Q&A WITH HEADLINERS THE DIRTY HEADS AND SHINY TOY GUNS CAT COUTURE AND SHOPPING STUDY ABROAD COLUMNIST MOLLIE BARNES ON MILAN FASHION WEEK
SNACKS T/F venues don’t have concession stands like you’re used to. Bring along some snacks for during the movie and walking/sprinting between theaters.
SUNGLASSES It’s freaking blinding outside (thanks, snow), for one thing, and people might mistake you for a famous celeb/indie filmmaker, for another.
letter from the editor
True vs. False
Poor documentaries. In a world of blockbuster movies and TV shows that probably actually cause withdrawal symptoms for every missed episode, documentaries just can’t compete. They’re unsexy. They’re not glamorous. They smell distinctly of sleepy high school classrooms, and all suspiciously sound like they’re narrated by the dudes with fake British accents or Morgan Freeman wanna-bes. Thank goodness, then, that we get to be in a place that hosts one of the world’s top film festivals — one created to showcase the best and most thrilling examples of that storytelling thing they keep telling us at the J-school to be doing. This year, True/False Film Fest celebrates its tenth year of taking us by the shoulders, giving us a good shake (and an even better cry) and leaving us feeling alternately crushed/refreshed/inspired/ready to take on the world and do something about anything. All with the underrated, 100 percent real magic of the lowly documentary. Because as much as we adore getting lost in the constructed worlds of, say, “Silver Linings Playbook” or “Breaking Bad,” there’s always that annoying little know-it-all voice in the back of our head that’s reminding us to keep a wall between that fictional universe and our own, knowing that we risk going delusional if we start expecting Jennifer Lawrence to jog into our lives. Sure, the fictitious has its place to stretch our minds and let us escape. But real stories and struggles — the kind portrayed in every single True/False documentary this year, guaranteed — they bring us to the here and now, grab our hands tightly and smilingly promise, Life is so much bigger and better and more beautiful than you could ever imagine. Let me just show you. See you there this weekend!
Delia Cai, editor
/Cover photo/ Clayton hotze design/ Brendan Wray and beatriz costa-lima editor/ delia cai photo editor/ lauren kastner 2 MOV E • 03.01.13
SCARF & GLOVES Numb hands will not make standing in line remotely fun.
COLLARED SHIRT It’s the cultural event of the year for Mid-Mo. Who knows who you could impress?
LAYERS This is March in Missouri, duh. Keep your outer layers easy to remove in case you get warm in the theaters.
TISSUES Winter sniffles or documentary-induced waterworks? Whatever your excuse, pack your pockets full.
PEACOAT This sophisticated metropolitan staple was made for out-all-day weekends like these.
WATER-RESISTANT SHOES Wear shoes that are slush-worthy and have some traction so you don’t slip and crush those snacks.
DAVID FREYERMUTH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Here’s a look at the top highlights from the film fests’s lifespan so far.
Wilson and Paul Sturtz envision a film event intending to celebrate 2003 David the new wave of cinematic documentaries. Cinema, The Blue Note and the Missouri Theatre play host to the 2004 Ragtag first True/False Film Fest. international filmmakers are present and more than 6,500 tickets 2005 Fifty are sold in the festival’s second year. True/Life Fund is established and raises more than $8,500 for the 2007 The subjects of a documentary about an African orphanage. Alex Gibney receives the festival's True Vision Award for “Taxi to 2008 Director the Dark Side.” Having just won an Oscar for the film, he notes in his acceptance speech, “I looked at that as a warm-up to True/False.”
Kim Longinotto is the first female True Vision winner for 2009 Filmmaker “Rough Aunties.” than half of the 30,000 T/F attendees come from outside of 2011 More mid-Missouri. sells a record 37,500 tickets and is staffed by more than 800 2012 True/False volunteers. CAIT CAMPBELL | GRAPHICS ASSISTANT
move.themaneater.com
Source: truefalse.org, True/False press kit
WILLIAM SCHMITT
on sitting down and listening to 'XXX'
An introduction to Danny Brown If you listen to hip-hop beyond the Top 40 at all, chances are you already know about the Adderall Admiral. Danny Brown bounces from a nasal staccato to a ruthless bark. In addition to his recent breakthrough as a rapper, his unique fashion sense has gained him the adoration of many a teenage girl. You can research his steez on your own time, but I’m here to talk about his music, of course. Much like pro sports, rapping is a young man’s game. Decades of writing, recording and performing have strained the messages of hip-hop heroes like Jay-Z, Eminem and Method Man. It takes a certain energy and naiveté to make a commitment to a musical career, but when years of determination are invested, they pay off handily. As far as mainstream rappers go, Brown bloomed late by not becoming a prominent figure until the last three years despite mixtapes such as “Browntown” and “Detroit State of Mind 4.” It’s passion. It’s talent, and it’s luck, and it’s sleepless nights in strange cities. But it’s mostly passion that has led to his sudden popularity. The underground started to take notice with The Hybrid in 2010, and Brown blew up properly in 2011 with XXX (the roman numerals, not pornographic hallmark). He lives between vignettes filmed from Detroit’s streets with lenses made of broken 40s and intentionally obnoxious depictions of his stimulant-fueled lifestyle. He makes songs like “Fields” that conjure images of vacant urban lots and songs like “Blunt After Blunt” that are about exactly what you think they’re about, and he puts them on the same album. He makes songs like “Pac Blood” that make me swear about his skill to my jaded friends who’ve heard it all before and songs like “Bruiser Brigade” that make me say, “Yeah, so what? Island!” I like the complexity of his music because it reminds me of life’s balance. Brown’s transition from toothless hoodrat to toothless indie sensation has been monumentally swift, and his career has been what happens when keeping it real goes right. He has tracks called “DNA” and “Scrap or Die” based on his experience with drug use and its effect on families. While he talks about smoking weed and cigarettes, drinking to inebriation and snorting crushed Adderall, he acknowledges the health risks of his lifestyle. So, MOVE readers, while I never know what music you’re into, I assume we have something in common. My ears get around and so do yours. Listen to XXX, and stick with it. Danny structured the album so the first 12 tracks are a party-themed Side A and the final seven are a somber Side B. Keep that in mind when you listen. I’ve laid down a bare foundation for a prospective listener to start with XXX and work backward. To be honest, I started listening when The Hybrid came out, and I like XXX even more. Depending on how much you like hip-hop and what kind of hip-hop you like, you may like one song and you make dozens. However it shakes out, he’s given you an honest album that deserves an honest listen. A quick note: Danny Brown has an album coming out sometime this year, entitled Old. Buy it, download it, and shoot a bootlegger. The release date hasn’t been announced, but this man pops around from coast to coast a lot, probably due to all of the prescription drugs he inhales. We should see Old by the end of the year. Some noticeable rappers announced as features include A$AP Rocky and Schoolboy Q. And if you hear one Danny Brown song, listen to “Grown Up”. Thanks for reading.
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MOVE MOVE MOVE
10 Years of True/False
loud minded
03.01.13• MOV E
3
Couch potato JACK HOWLAND
on last week's wedding episode and why it's so damn important
AsK The
Holy matrimony The Best True/Fa with 'Parks and Liz FoRNanGO Recreation' Favorite Movie: “Lost in Translation” Been attending T/F since: 2008, and she’s volunteered ever since Favorite part of T/F: “From an attendance standpoint of the festival, my favorite part is the informality of so many of the events.”
“Parks and Recreation” has reached a critical moment in the sitcom lifespan. It’s the same moment at which “The Office” began its spiraling descent toward piss-poor writing and forced, contractually-obliged acting. It’s also the moment that sealed the lasting legacy of “30 Rock” as the best show about nothing since “Seinfeld.” Yes, last week the NBC series married two of its main characters -— a plot point that can either leave an aging sitcom on its deathbed or give it a new metal hip and shot of adrenaline. I’m happy to say, I don’t think “Parks and Rec” is going to die on us anytime soon. Last week’s wedding between loudmouth Leslie Knope and close-mouthed Ben Wyatt was beautiful in a sitcom-y, Pawnee kind of way. Dialogue was unapologetically cheesy. Flashback montages were as tear-inducing as a Nicholas Sparks novel. There were even candles, homemade dresses and an impromptu town hall ceremony. But, more than anything else, the episode was a reminder of why “Parks and Rec” is the best sitcom on TV. Throughout the small-town ceremony, the program’s greatest strength — its well-written ensemble characters — was in full force. When Ron Swanson — the staunch Libertarian who has become iconic — gave Leslie away, I think all “Parks and Rec” nerds went and hugged their “Swanson Pyramid of Greatness.” And when swag-tastic Tom Haverford performed the ceremony, I think I may have even shed a tear. Yes, I know I’m a sap. Some might say I’m losing testosterone with every rom-com-worthy sentiment I punch into my keyboard. But a sitcom marriage is a dish best served gleefully cliché. In the “Parks and Rec” wedding — a ceremony that was perfectly trite — the central characters came together in a moment of pure sitcom gold. Gathered in Leslie’s town hall office, with Haverford standing at the very front, everything great about the show was on full display. It made me think back to the breakout Season 2 and how the the program finally struck that perfect balance of wit and heart. Characters like the goofball Andy Dwyer and the aloof hipster April Ludgate reached their full potential. Material started to feel less like a carbon copy of “The Office” and became something that was one-of-a-kind. Even Rob Lowe and Adam Scott got in on the action as a pair of federal government black hats. That same season, Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope became one of the best characters on TV. With her effortless charm, Tim Gunn impressions, and brazen drunk dancing, she resonated with viewers. Poehler’s intoxicatingly buffoonish portrayal of Knope was a sensation at the time and continues to be one of the most critically overlooked performances in the history of TV. But, more than that, Poehler has given the sitcom its sense of community. And that’s what a sitcom should do. A sitcom isn’t supposed to tackle life’s most probing questions or unravel like a Stephen King murder mystery. A sitcom is supposed to drop you into a place and make it feel like a home — hell, think about “Seinfeld.” There was the booth in the coffee shop. Jerry’s apartment with that bike rack. Everywhere that George had his neurotic, self-loathing rants. In 25 years, I hope we’re reminiscing about Pawnee, JJ’s Diner and everyone’s favorite celebrity pony Li’l Sebastian. In order to achieve that status, “Parks and Rec” just needs to take a lesson from “The Office.” I still remember watching Season 6 and its painstaking mediocrity. Talented actors looked like cool kids left at a lame, chaperoned party. It seemed like Steve Carell was being held at gunpoint to squeeze out derivative dialogue. And it was that wedding of Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert — as fulfilling as it was — that started its fall. With a sitcom wedding, it can often end in viewership divorce. When Jim and Pam were together, there was nothing to keep the show plugging away. The workplace energy the show had seemed to be missing and characters lacked chemistry. That damned baby even became a bummer. For “Parks and Rec,” though, last week’s wedding episode undoubtedly marked a critical moment in the sitcom life. But the way it’s looking, I don’t see myself divorcing this series anytime soon.
Film festival worker extraordinaire Fornango’s top picks are films that she saw at Sundance that she’s looking forward to showing people around here:
“NO”
Playing: 2:30 p.m. Friday at The Blue Note 10 a.m. Saturday at Jesse Auditorium 7:45 p.m. Sunday at Missouri Theatre
“AFTER TILLER”
Playing: 5:30 p.m. Friday at Big Ragtag 3:30 p.m. Saturday at The Blue Note 4 p.m. Sunday at Jesse Auditorium
“THE CRASH REEL”
Why it’s a must-see: “‘No’ is more on the false side of T/F … It’s a fictional story happening against the backdrop of real events… It’s a dramatization of real events about how powerful ideas in the media come to influence the world.”
Why it’s a must-see: “I think whatever your beliefs are on the issue (of abortion) … It definitely raises questions about people to be considered. It takes everyone into some gray area on their beliefs.”
Why it’s a must-see: A snowboarding crash changes everything for Kevin Pearce. “Crash Reel’” is the story of a family in recovery. “It’s a complicated story, but it’s told in a way that allows it to be complicated but makes sense,” Fornango says. “The family in the movie is just an extraordinary group of people.”
tRacY LaNE
Favorite Movie: Anything from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s Been attending T/F since: 9 years Favorite part of T/F: True Life Fund – “Amidst all the fun and festivities, I love that we give back to the people who give their stories to the world,” Lane says. “This really sets our fest apart from many others.”
Executive director of Ragtag programming for film and media art
NEITHER/NOR FILM SERIES
“DAVID HOLZMAN’S DIARY”
Playing: All weekend at Ragtag Cinema Why it’s a must-see: The annual “chimeric cinema,” hosted by Ragtag and True/False, emphasizes historic pieces that fall on the T/F fence. This year’s series will feature four films made in New York City during the late ‘60s. “As I mentioned there is something significantly iconic about this era of film for me personally … I was born in the late ‘60s, so I was here, but wish I could have been a part of the movement that was happening in American art, music and film at that time.”
Playing: 10 p.m. Friday at Missouri Theatre 1 p.m. Saturday at Jesse Auditorium 8:30 p.m. at The Blue Note
Playing: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Little Ragtag 8:00 p.m. Saturday at Big Ragtag Why it’s a must-see: “David Holzman’s Diary” follows David, a young man headed for war. Using the camera as his diary, David captures his life, honest and unedited. The catch: it’s all fiction.
“TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM”
Playing: 6 p.m. Saturday at Missouri Theatre 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Jesse Auditorium Why it’s a must-see: “I always love the music films, too … last year I was captivated by the story of Rodriguez, in ‘Searching for Sugar Man.’ My daughter and I danced around our living room Sunday night when it won the Oscar for Best Documentary. So, this year, I’m counting on falling in love with ‘Twenty Feet From Stardom,’ a film about backup singers.” lauren rutherford | staff writer
True/false playlist T/F is known for some pretty powerful films that advocate for a gamut of causes. Here are the best inspirational anthems to keep you on that dreamy, lets-save-the-world T/F kick in between screenings.
“BELIEVE” - THE BRAVERY This powerful song is all about giving yourself something to believe in. The message? A world without something to fight for is empty.
4 MOV E • 03.01.13
“SAME LOVE” MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS The rapper trades in his obnoxious fur coat for a powerful public service announcement.
“THERE’S HOPE” INDIA.ARIE This R&B tune expresses a tale about a man with absolutely nothing but who still manages to hold on to faith and happiness.
ExPErTs
alse Films of 2013
JaMIe GoNAlvEs
Favorite Movie: “Hoop Dreams,” “Grey Gardens,” “Monterey Pop,” “F for Fake,” anything by the Marx brothers, “Wild Strawberries” Been attending T/F since: 2 years Favorite part of T/F: Meeting people that make documentaries and seeing the differences between those people and people that make fiction movies.
Programming assistant, movie screener, Gimme Truth! and The Great Wall coordinator at True/False
“THESE BIRDS WALK” Playing: 8:30 p.m. Friday at The Globe Theater 1:30 p.m. Saturday at The Picturehouse 3:30 p.m. Sunday at The Picturehouse
Why it’s a must-see: “It’s an amazing, amazing film about this guy who started an orphanage for runaway children in Pakistan. It’s gorgeous, so wellshot and it’s so well-crafted. It’s masterfully done.”
“SLEEPLESS NIGHTS” Playing: noon Friday at Little Ragtag 5 p.m. Friday at Forrest Theater 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Big Ragtag
Why it’s a must-see: “It runs a little long for most people at 128 minutes, but it doesn’t ever feel long. It’s so beautifully constructed. It’s the story of this guy who worked in the Lebanese army and ordered (to be executed) or executed himself thousands and thousands of people -- he has no idea how many -- and he’s trying to come to terms with what he did … it’s tremendous. I love that movie so much.”
dR. RogER COOk
“THE EXPEDITION TO THE END OF THE WORLD”
Playing: 6 p.m. Saturday at The Picturehouse 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Forrest Theater
Why it’s a must-see: “It’s got an amazing heavy metal soundtrack. There’s nothing like watching icebergs melt to a heavy metal soundtrack -- it’s so fucking raw. It looks like a narrative -- it’s amazing how well-shot it is.”
Professor of German, Director of Film Studies at MU
Favorite Movie: Declined to answer Been attending T/F since: 9 years (since its origin in 2004) Favorite part of T/F: Being able to view the movies in a different kind of context, the buzz and energy around town, and discussing the films with others. “Most of these movies haven’t been seen or reviewed,” Cook says. “You have to go on your intuition … but it’s still a guessing game. They’re all really wildcards—you don’t know what you’re getting into.”
“THE MOO MAN”
Playing: noon Friday at Forrest Theater 3:30 p.m. Saturday at The Globe Theater 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Jesse Auditorium Why it’s a must-see: “You can tell something by the scheduling — when something plays, what the venues are. I so like these kinds of quirky, personal movies, especially this one about the relationship between this man and this cow. That’s a kind of movie that I’ve found to be particularly interesting at times over the years. Again, I’m going more on intuition and clues with respect to scheduling and the kind of movies I’ve seen in the past that I like. A combination of those things kind of points me towards this one as possibly a pretty good movie.”
“STORIES WE TELL” Playing: 7 p.m. Friday at Jesse Auditorium
Why it’s a must-see: “It’s one about family secrets — I’ve seen a number of films that have been really good that were directors going to their own family and getting some interesting situations and context from their own family.”
“VILLAGE AT THE END OF THE WORLD” Playing: 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Missouri Theatre 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Big Ragtag
Why it’s a must-see: “I think it’s got potential. It’s one of those quirky movies with some quirky situations or topics, it being centered in a small village in northwest Greenland. It could be a really fun and interesting movie.”
the viewing room HANNAH BEDENKOP on how this year's Academy Awards went down
Oscar expectations vs. reality The Academy Awards ceremony is far and away the most important event in Hollywood. But it’s also a popularity contest hosted by a bunch of old white men who don’t vote for people whose names they can’t pronounce (a voter actually said that — just Google “Oscar voter’s brutally honest ballot”). So I think we can all agree that the Oscars are also kind of a joke. This year’s Oscars were definitely a joke but not a funny one. I could go on about how Seth MacFarlane’s digs were stale and offensive, and don’t even get me started on all the crap tossed at 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis in the name of comedy. But hey, this is a movie column. So let’s take a look at how this year’s Oscars stacked up against my expectations. Best Picture – This is one of the few awards I think went to the right people. “Argo” was well-written, superbly shot and executed to a T. It was just a class act of a movie from a technical standpoint, so I think its Best Picture win was deserved. Expectation: Met. Best Director – Ang Lee is awesome. I mean, show me someone who doesn’t love Ang Lee, and I’ll show you someone who’s lying through their teeth. But Ben Affleck deserved at least a nomination, if not the win, and I just can’t get past that. Expectation: I wasn’t even trying here. Best Actor – Another fair win, I suppose. Granted, I haven’t seen “Lincoln,” but I have seen Daniel Day-Lewis act and boy, oh boy that guy can get it done. I suppose he was a bit of a dull choice for Academy voters, though it was a boringly obvious category this time around. Expectation: Meh. Best Actress – Look, I enjoy J-Law as much as anyone else, but best female performance of the year? I liked “Silver Linings Playbook” well enough, and I thought Jennifer Lawrence’s performance was consistently charming and slightly unhinged. But I simply cannot condone her win over Jessica Chastain. She handily carried “Zero Dark Thirty” from start to finish, and I can’t remember ever being so impressed by an actress. Expectation: Punched right in the face. Best Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz is a fine actor, and I’m not mad that he beat any of the imposing actors that rounded out the category. Then again, it could have gone to Tommy Lee “Grumpy Cat” Jones, and I would have had the exact same reaction. Expectation: Met with extreme apathy. Best Supporting Actress – Honesty hour: “Les Misérables” was most assuredly not the best movie of the year. It might not have even been the best movie that came out at Christmas, but I’ll be damned if Anne Hathaway didn’t knock my socks right off with her supremely affecting performance. If “I Dreamed a Dream” didn’t inspire some kind of emotional reaction in you … I don’t even know. Don’t talk to me. Expectation: I’m not crying. Those aren’t tears on my face. Best Original Screenplay – In a perfect world in which I call all the shots, “Moonrise Kingdom” takes home the award for best screenplay. Wes Anderson is from another world, a better one perhaps, because the dialogue in that movie was snappier and wittier than anything I could ever come up with. Expectation: Obliterated. But at least we got another drunk Tarantino speech. Those are always fun. Best Original Score – It is an absolute travesty that “Beasts of the Southern Wild” wasn’t nominated in this category. I’m so mad about this. Go listen to the soundtrack on YouTube, and let it change you for the better. Expectation: Nope. Still fuming. Best Original Song – All hail Adele for the magnificence that is “Skyfall.” This song is still stuck in my head. Expectation: If this hadn’t been met I would have set my roommate’s television on fire. Overall, the Oscars had a pretty terrible host and about a 50 percent success rate of giving the right awards to the right people. But the good news is it can only get better! Tina Fey and Amy Poehler: you’re up.
thom dixon | staff writer
True/false playlist
“WHAT YOU KNOW” - TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB The band’s trademark catchy instrumentation was used to promote MTV’s documentary series World of Jenks. The song is sure to leave anyone feeling full of energy and hungry for a purpose.
“THE SHOW GOES ON” - LUPE FIASCO This hip-hop take on Modest Mouse’s “Float On” tells Lupe Fiasco’s story of overcoming the obstacles in his life to reach success and inspire others.
“SHAKE IT OUT” - FLORENCE + THE MACHINE The upbeat tune combined with Florence Welch’s soulful voice exhibits the solid message of the song. Why focus on negative things when all they do is hold you back from making a positive change? zack nolan | reporter 03.01.13 • MOV E
5
pop track JOYCE PENG on
reminiscing on the late '90s/late '00s
Remember when? Once serving as the world’s largest email service, Hotmail has now recently been converted to Microsoft Outlook. Remember how huge Hotmail was when we were growing up? All my friends used Hotmail as their email addresses when email services such as Yahoo! were barely forming. Launched in 1996 when Internet was taking baby steps, Hotmail was one of the first free webmail services. Having email was pretty cool those days, and Hotmail was the fast path to that. Now that Hotmail is gone, another piece of the late ‘90s/early ‘00s has faded away. This has definitely gotten me nostalgic. Sure, the late ‘00s and early 2010s are exciting. They’re full of technological innovations and a wild mix of popular trends that never fail to surprise people. After spending most of my childhood living in the late ‘90s, early ‘00s, I’ve grown quite fond of that era when life was simpler. For one thing, toys were actually physical (I know, it’s hard to imagine). I remember spending hours after school playing with my stuffed animals and Barbies and building miniature towns with my enormous jar of LEGOs. I remember the first time I got a Pokéball. That was my most prized toy, and I nearly cried when I broke the tail of the Pikachu figurine that was stored in it. The kids these days are really missing the glory of the ‘90s toys: Furbys, Beanie Babies, hula hoops. Last year, my high school physics tutor brought his 5-year-old son over to our house once, and the boy’s idea of a “toy” was “Fruit Ninja.” He had never played with LEGOs or toy cars. There is something inherently fun about playing with physical toys and being able to feel that you own something (even if they were just Beanie Babies). TV shows bloomed in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s. Disney Channel was magical and served as probably the only legitimate reason to get up early on Saturday. Shows like “That’s So Raven,” “Lizzie McGuire” and “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” were shows that tackled real problems, and a lot of us could relate to them. They didn’t have all the glitter and glamour that many of the current Disney shows have. They were original. Now, Disney has run out of good ideas (seriously, “Fish Hooks”?). Many of the TV shows use redundant plot lines, aren’t realistic enough and involve too much singing and dancing. And then there was the new love of the wonders of computers and the Internet. I recalled the first time my family bought a personal computer — a huge, clunky gray machine with a fuzzy screen. Software games were my best friends (Kudos to Mario, who taught me how to type), and the websites seemed very creative, with colorful backgrounds and simple buttons compared to the complexity of today’s websites. Even though Internet was a pain in the butt (I could boil myself some tea and grab a snack while waiting for the page to load) and some company called AOL kept flooding our mail box with CDs offering 1,000 hours of free internet, the web wasn’t as huge of a deal in life back then. Certainly no one had Internet addiction disorder. b Overall, the feel to the late ‘90s and the early ‘00s was relaxed and upbeat. The economy was great, the new wave of technology offered many exciting advances, and the music was cheesy. My Los Angeles Lakers were on a championship roll and life was way simpler without the dominance of technology. Enough of the bittersweet nostalgia. There are still some lingering effects of ’90s popular culture today. The website launched in 1996 to promote Space Jam, the comedic sports film staring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes characters, is still up and running in true ‘90s fashion. “Arthur” still airs on PBS, and Ring Pops are still on store shelves. All is not lost quite yet.
Marching
onward
Q&A with mucca Mandolinist Gary Kalar shares what it’s like to be in the marching band that thinks it’s a rock band.
PHOTO COURTESY OF C.B. LINDSEY
jessica allison | staff writer When you think of a marching band, do you still think of high school social rejects? If so, let us introduce to you Mucca Pazza, a 30-piece instrumental band from Chicago. The members wear mismatched band uniforms and play funky music on marching band instruments. They’ll be playing at 11:30 p.m. tonight at The Blue Note, and in preparation of the band’s return to the True/False Film Fest, MOVE called up mandolin player Gary Kalar to discuss what it’s like to be in such a unique group. MOVE: How did the idea of a rock ‘n’ roll marching band come about? [Gary Kalar]: Before the band started, a lot of us had worked together, particularly in the theater scene of Chicago. After a while, everybody decided to start playing for our own fun, so we got together in this parking lot of an industrial area on a Sunday, and we sat outside and had donuts and orange juice and just played music in the sun. It was great. M: What’s it like performing with a group of 30 members? [GK]: The most complicated things is everybody’s schedule. Everybody has real lives. We just go into a studio, whether (it’s) our own that we’ve cobbled together or a professional studio, and then we just play through the songs. We pretty much just do it together in a big room like the old days. And one time we
recorded in a wax cylinder at the Edison museum (also known as the Thomas Edison National Historic Park) in Orange, N.J. M: Speaking of busy schedules, how often do you guys get to perform? [GK]: It’s just kinda like recording, the major obstacle for us getting out of town is everybody’s schedule. So when we have offers, or when we try to solicit gigs that are out of town, if we have the people for it, we’ll do it. A lot of time we don’t have enough people. M: What brings you back to True/False this year? [GK]: Well, there’s a number of reasons, and there’s a history between us, but mostly because we think it’s an awesome film festival, and we’re happy and proud to be a part of it. It’s fantastic. M: Where does Mucca Pazza get its quirky energy from? [GK]: I think we just want to do what we’re doing, and we’re really excited to do it, and that’s where it comes from. We get a lot of amazing responses from people, and it keeps it exciting and it’s motivating. There’s no secret crystal power we’re all tapped into if that’s what you’re asking. There’s a few of us who are doing things in the theater regularly, but it’s never something spazzy like Mucca Pazza is.
tongue in chic
Red carpet celebrities get schooled MADISON FELLER
on awards season fashion OK Tigers, let’s be real here for a second. Last week, we all let out a collective squeal as we heard that we would be granted a glorious, wintry snow day. And if a four-day weekend filled with snowball fights, hot chocolate and cozying up in bed wasn’t enough, we got to end our thundersnow-weekend party with the wonderfulness that was the 2013 Academy Awards. If there were any night to have your eyes glued to the red carpet, the Oscars would be it. The evening marks the end of awards season, as well as one of the few nights a year that actors, actresses and directors alike can dress like royalty. To commemorate the ending of the awards and some of the best fashion of the year, I’ve decided to grade a couple of this year’s most talked about celebrities. I totally have the authority to do that, right?
Jennifer Lawrence: Not to be a hipster Jennifer Lawrence fan, but I’ve definitely been on the JLaw train since she appeared in Teen Vogue in 2008. And she completely swept me away two years ago with her Louis Vuitton Golden Globes dress and her stunning Calvin Klein gown from the Oscars. In short, my hopes were pretty high for Lawrence this awards season. And, for the most part, she didn’t disappoint. Although I thought her decision to belt her Dior Couture dress at
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the Golden Globes was bold, the shape of the dress was a little unsettling. But her Screen Actors Guild Awards choice, also Dior Couture, was definitely on the right track with a more classic shape in a gorgeous blue color. Even so, Lawrence’s shining moment was definitely Sunday night. Her Dior gown was absolutely beautiful and represented her move into full-fledged celebrity status, even if the circumference of the dress is probably what caused her trip up the stage’s stairs that night. Overall grade: B+
Anne Hathaway: Before I begin, I have to give Hathaway credit for thoroughly rocking her "Les Misérables" pixie cut all the way through this past season. Though this gave her a new look in terms of awards season dressing, Hathaway stuck to a uniform of sleek, fitted dresses in — let’s be honest — pretty mundane colors. While her dresses were lovely on their own, especially the white Chanel dress she wore to the Golden Globes and the beaded Oscar de la Renta number she wore to the Critic’s Choice Movie Awards, none of them gave her the “wow” moment she so deserved. Her blush Prada dress for the Oscars was okay but not the kind of showstopper I’d want from our Best Supporting Actress winner. Maybe it’s tough love, but I know you can do better than that, Hathaway. After all, you once were the princess of Genovia. Overall grade: C
Helen Hunt: Now, I didn’t see “The Sessions,” nor am I that versed in the ways of Helen Hunt, but, dang, this girl can work a red carpet. The detailed Dolce & Gabbana gown she wore to the Golden Globes might have been one of my favorite looks of the entire season. She looked glowing and polished — like a true star. The SAG Awards were also a shining moment for Hunt as she rocked a blinged-out Romona Keveza mermaid gown. But it was her blue H&M Oscars dress that sent the fashion world buzzing. Although she accessorized with $700,000 worth of jewelry, this kind of commercial designer hasn’t been seen on the Oscars carpet since Sharon Stone wore Gap to the event in 1996 and 1998. Hunt proved she can take risks, pull them off seamlessly and show up looking timeless and glistening. Overall grade: A Other notables include Jessica Chastain (need I say more?) and the adorable dog purse that Quvenzhané Wallis sported at the Oscars. Oh, and as for the males...let’s face it: unless you have Eddie Redmayne’s face, then you’re kind of just another guy in a suit. Nevertheless, I’m pretty proud of this year’s gaggle of stars. And I can’t wait to see how long it takes Adele to run out of black dresses to wear.
Getting dirty »
ciao for now Dirty J dishes on The Dirty Heads
MOLLIE BARNES on stalking Milan Fashion Week
Fashion fix abroad
meghan lewis | senior staff writer Before the band’s Blue Note show this week with the Shiny Toy Guns, lead singer Jared Watson (Dirty J) took some time to talk to MOVE. After hearing about touring, the creative process and more, we stand by the opinion we’ve always had: The Dirty Heads are cool as hell. [MOVE]: Have you guys worked with the Shiny Toy Guns a lot, other than this tour? [Jared Watson]: No. This is the first time we’ve met them, first time we’ve ever worked with them, but, you know, we’re fans of their music. They always have a bunch of songs with like snowboard videos and skate videos. And we kinda get played on the same radio stations and things like that. M: The tour just started, so obviously that’s on the agenda for the foreseeable future, but do you guys have any plans after the Tour Odyssey? [J]: We’re doing a small tour in Brazil for about two, three weeks, and then we come back and actually finish up this tour. M: How else are you promoting your new album Cabin By the Sea? [J]: We have a new video coming out. We’ll be doing a bunch of radio shows. We’ll be doing a bunch of acoustic things. We have a new acoustic album coming out actually, probably closer to summertime. M: What’s the new video? [J]: The new video is for “Cabin By the Sea,” the actual title track of the album. M: I have to ask about one of the album’s songs, “Smoke Rings.” Did you guys write that together? [J]: We take breaks and just do all this crazy stuff to get inspiration, or we get bored on certain songs. So we’ll just mess around, and Mario
PHOTO COURTESY OF MSO PR
(Caldato, Jr., who worked with the Beastie Boys) and Dave (bassist David Floral) came up with this. And it was super grimy and rad, and super fun, and I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got an idea for this,’ and I wrote my verse, the very first verse, in like ten minutes or something like that. It just came, and once we had that first, I laid it down and Duddy (Bushnell) wrote his verse in like an hour, and that song was done. We had been watching movies the night before. We were smoking and watching all these weird movies that Mario had brought, and we remembered that there was that funny part about long hair and all this stuff and hippies. And we were like, “Oh my God, we should put that at the top of the song.” So it all came about in pretty much one day. M: Obviously a lot of your songs reference smoking things other than tobacco. Do you catch any heat for that? [J]: No, we haven’t yet. I feel like our music and message and what we’re all about is almost kind of like a lifestyle. And we don’t push anything on anybody. We’re not pushing, we’re not being malicious about it, and we’re not being political about it. So you know, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to listen and you don’t have to partake and come to the shows or whatever … We’re not 100 percent about smoking weed. We do believe that it should be legal. We do have a stance on it, but we don’t push that on anybody. We’re just talking about our lives or what we like or what we’re passionate about, and that comes through in music, but we’re not weed Nazis. M: Do you get tired of singing the same songs over and over? [J]: I’m so stoked to be where we are and to be doing what we’re doing, playing the music that we made for our fans. I don’t think we ever get sick of it cause it’s just a fucking awesome job.
Italian word of the week: così è la vita – such is life Many travelers have this romanticized idea of “getting lost.” You have no cares in the world, so you can just pick a direction and start walking and get lost. That’s what you do when you study abroad. Sometimes it’s intentional. A lot of times it isn’t. But somehow every time I find myself “getting lost” and trying to stumble on some local Milan culture, I just find myself shopping for clothes. The more I think about it, coming home a few euros shorter might actually be the culture here. Fashion and the ‘Italian brand,’ so to speak, are what Milan is famous for. Or at least this theory is how I’m going to justify all my purchases and lack of museum visits to my parents when I get home. Fashion is part of the culture of Milan. This week was one of the most important weeks for Milan’s culture: fashion week. Milan Fashion Week is one of the four main fashion weeks, the others being in London, New York and Paris. Since fashionistas from all over the world come to Milan for this, it wasn’t surprising that a lot of them spoke English. It was strange to understand a lot of strangers’ conversations on the metro, since normally I understand about 10 percent of what people around me are saying in their fast Italian conversations. One English conversation I overheard on the metro was between two models: “The waiters were just staring at us like, ‘Why are they eating? They’re models.’ People are so ridiculous.” Yeah I hear you, honey. Sometimes, when I eat cheeseburgers, people are shocked, too. Though, usually it’s because they are grossed out, not because I’m so skinny that they can’t believe it. However, I shouldn’t be so bitter about models, considering I did essentially stalk some Fashion Week shows to get a glimpse at a few. Although I couldn’t tell you if I saw anyone famous, because honestly I’m usually more preoccupied by the clothes they wear than the fame of the model. I got to the outside of the Fendi show just as people started pouring out in their ridiculous outwear. People who I am sure weren’t even of relevance were getting their pictures taken solely for the fact they were dressed completely ridiculous for the weather. It was snowing. The practical people, myself included, were wearing weatherappropriate gear such as coats and scarves whereas the “fashionable” people were wearing tights or an exotic fur sweater at most. This might make them more fashionable, but I’m going to sum it up by the fact that most of us in ugly winter coats have to walk and take the metro around town, whereas the ‘fashionable people’ are only outside for a brief moment as they run from a fashion show building to their private cars. I never thought I’d say it, but sometimes practicality beats fashion. I did appreciate their lack of practical winter clothing, though, because it allowed me to see some exciting fashions since I couldn’t get into an actual show. My favorite piece was what could best be described as a pink yeti fur coat. Mostly because the girl wearing it was smiling instead of doing a straight “Italian face.” Another favorite fashion I saw was an umbrella with kittens wearing crowns. I’m sure many of you are excited to hear: cat-lady couture might be the next big thing! I didn’t see anyone wearing blinders, but that’s honestly what I should have packed. That way I won’t get so distracted by all the stores and fashions next time I get lost. But since human blinders don’t exist, I suppose I will just have to succumb to the local Milanese culture of shopping or maybe practice a little more selfcontrol … but those €35 vintage Valentino sunglasses were just too good to pass up. Così è la vita! Ciao for now!
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Shiny Toy Guns to play The Blue Note
L.A. synth-pop/rock band Shiny Toy Guns has been on the musical radar since their Grammy-nominated album We Are Pilots in 2006. They’re best known for dance hit “Le Disko” and their cover of ‘80s hit “Major Tom.” After nearly a four-year break, the band has released their longawaited album III , featuring original lead singer Carah Faye Charnow. MOVE: How would you say Shiny Toy Guns’ sound has evolved throughout the years? [Jeremy Dawson]: Oh wow, I mean, it’s just zig-zagged, I would say. You know, they say it takes your whole, whole lifetime to make your first album. And then you do. The band went through a lot of hell — the dynamics of individuals were activating into a nuclear bomb. At one point, we went through a really dark period during our second album Season of Poison, which is a lot more aggressive and guitar-driven. For III you can say that we’ve calmed down and added maturity and life. The coolest thing about the third album is how individually personal it is and how the sound really captures who we are and what the band really sounds like. Though the first record sort of does that too, it’s all a stepping stone. Everything in life is a stepping stone, and the third album is the current stone that we’re stepping on.
M: Does III more closely resemble We Are Pilots or Season of Poison?
[JD]: Definitely We are Pilots. Carah is back as our lead singer, and that’s a part of it, but you have to look at the fact that Chad (Petree) and I wrote the first album, the second and the vast majority of the third. It’s not like we drastically changed the sound of the band. The difference was where we were in our heads. The family sort of broke apart, causing a darker, more aggressive tone in the second record. It’s all about how we were in our heads. It has nothing to do with whether or not there were more synthesizers or guitars. M: What is your favorite song from III? [JD]: Right now, “Mercy.” Depends on what mood I’m in. M: How was it decided that Carah would be joining the band again? [JD]: Gosh that’s a long story. It wasn’t decided — it just happened naturally. There wasn’t a reason or a meaning or a force. Just one day, my drummer Mikey (Martin) and I flew to see her in Sweden, in the middle of nowhere in a forest with 7 feet of snow on the ground. We just hung out with her and talked things out. M: How has your experience been touring with The Dirty Heads? [JD]: Have you ever seen one of those cute animal pictures where there’s like, a cat hanging out with a mouse? It just doesn’t make sense to
When: 7:30 P.m. TUESDAY Where: THe blue note TICKETS: $20
our fans, or on paper, but when you go to the show, you hear two bands that love to make music. It’s not so awkward where your eyes puss or you shit your pants. We’re on the same label, and the tour was arranged by various entities. It feels a little bit like a prearranged marriage with someone you don’t hate at all, with someone you think is a cool person, but not necessarily who you would have chosen. We didn’t really have a choice, and no one was upset about it. We just thought, ‘OK, let’s do this.’ We’re really easy to get along with, and are really approachable. I remember their lead singer just came on our bus and asked to hang out. I got Chad, who was wearing his onesie like he does every night. We completely broke down any weird stuff, and now we hang out every night just telling jokes. They’re amazing guys. M: What’s next for Shiny Toy Guns? [JD]: We’ve got plenty of more dates coming up. We’re gonna keep fighting, pushing, waving our flag and spread our new record around super awesome. M: Anything else you’d like to add? [JD]: If anybody in Columbia wants to go to shinytoyguns.com/joinus to be a part of our street team, we’re kind of short on that Mizzou mighty power and could use some more Missouri kids. meghan levota | reporter 03.01.13• MOV E
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