Arts & Culture - The Daily Tar Heel

Old Plot, Mediocre Acting Give `Scorpion' Weak Sting

By Brian Millikin | Aug. 30, 2001

If Woody Allen's new noirish comedy proves nothing else, it's that he is still hilarious at 65. If only he could write something more than ordinary for himself. In "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion," Allen plays C.W. Briggs, a top insurance investigator in 1940 New York. As Briggs, Allen writes and directs himself in a comfortable, self-deprecating role in the classic Allen mold, proving he's still the king of one-liners.

Film Captures Spring Break Revelry

By Russ Lane | Aug. 28, 2001

"Spring Break" was filmed by Zoom Culture, a local media group, and is a part of the company's ongoing "Digital Diaries" series. With classes just beginning, Spring Break seems to be a far-off prospect. But only a short amount of time passes until throngs of UNC students hit the islands, hedonistically revel and let naughtiness run rampant in the Caribbean streets.

Drawing From Breakfast

By Sarah Kucharski | Aug. 24, 2001

Two UNC alumni are hoping their satire of cereal will become a full-fledged Cartoon Network serial this weekend. "Major Flake," the brain child of Adam Cohen, class of `89, and Chris (Casper) Kelly, class of `91, is one of 10 different pilots in the running to become a Cartoon Network series, with audiences making the deciding vote online as part of "The Big Pick." Cohen and Kelly's satirical look into the world of childrens' cereal mascots, "Major Flake" delves into the sociological evils and advertising spins of mass-marketed sugary goodness to youngsters.

Dull Script, Melodrama Send Film Out to Pasture

By Michael Abernethy | Aug. 23, 2001

American Outlaws 1 Star The tagline for "American Outlaws" should say it all: "Bad is good again." Hmmm ... more like, "Bad is worse than it's ever been." "American Outlaws" is what happens when some moron in Hollywood gets the bright idea that "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" should be dumbed-down and re-made for the zillionth time.

Garza Doles Out Godly Tongue Lashing ; Lang Reaps Reward for Back-To-Basics Live Album

By Staff Editor | Aug. 23, 2001

David Garza Overdub 4 Stars A hearty amalgamation of Bowie, Orbison, Rusted Root and Prince, Austin-based singer/songwriter David Garza's fifth album Overdub is an imaginative and intricate journey into the world of alt-country rock. Melding a crooner's voice with extremely catchy guitar-driven tunes, Overdub is an innovative musical achievement. Garza smoothly traverses the span of musical styles, alternately cranking out hard rock and warbling moody love songs.

SAD Considerately Plays Low-Key Set

By Russ Lane | Aug. 23, 2001

SAD Considerately Plays Low-Key Set By Russ Lane Arts & Entertainment Editor Before local rock powerhouse Sorry About Dresden began its set, bassist Matt Tomich assured Go! management of their intentions. "Don't worry, we'll keep it short," Tomich said as he walked through the sold-out crowd and hopped onto the stage. Sorry About Dresden (SAD) was playing the night of Strunken White's final concert. During the now-deceased band's set, guitarist Nagendra Jayanty thanked Tomich on stage for his long-term support.

`I Love Lucy' Allusions Get Lost in `Rat Race'

By Trafton Drew | Aug. 23, 2001

`I Love Lucy' Allusions Get Lost in `Rat Race' By Trafton Drew Staff Writer Even die-hard fans of the slapstick humor of movies like "Airplane!" must admit that this brand of humor is hit-or-miss. "Rat Race," very much in the "Airplane" vein, misses more often than not. After brief introductions, the plot is set in motion when an eccentric casino owner randomly chooses six people to race from his Las Vegas casino to a train station in New Mexico for $2 million. Zany high jinks ensue.

French Film Conveys Exquisite Loneliness

By Joanna Pearson | Aug. 23, 2001

If Emily Dickinson had been transplanted to Paris to wait tables instead of write poetry, she would have been Amelie Poulin -- wide-eyed, observant and painfully shy. There's nothing quite so pleasing as watching the shy and slightly awkward stumble into happiness. After watching "Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulin," I've decided to spend the rest of my days honing, rather than hiding, my timidities in hopes that I'll drift about in a lovely, whimsical haze similar to the title character of this film.

Chapel Hill Songstress Sheds Light on Cafe

By Michael Abernethy | Aug. 23, 2001

Chapel Hill Songstress Sheds Light on Cafe By Michael Abernethy Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor A little bit of talent and a lot of Tori Amos went a long way Friday night at Alysson Light's show at The Carrboro Open Eye Caf

Poorly Made `Mandolin' Strikes Sour Note

By Harmony Johnson | Aug. 23, 2001

Captain Corelli's Mandolin< In the latest trend of World War II movies, "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" is a little off-key. It's a mix of boring war-movie formula and an awkward love story and fails to be convincing as either. The film centers on the intertwined lives of villagers and soldiers on picturesque Cephallonia, one of the Ionian Islands off the coast of Greece. The island's peaceful farming community turns upside down during a three-year occupation by Italian troops.

Call To Action

By Russ Lane | Aug. 23, 2001

As UNC's arts scene continues to thrive, campus groups are looking for a few good students. Everyone dreams of something. Especially when you're young -- who knows how many times that a 6-year-old version of yourself could be seen playing "rock star" or "famous actress," "ballerina" or whatnot. It's almost a childhood rite of passage. But childhood games are now a thing of the past. It's easy to forget about those wild ideas as they keep being put off in favor of more pressing matters. But it needn't always be that way.

P. Diddy-Ridden `Made' Samples `Swingers' Style

By Trafton Drew | Aug. 23, 2001

The success of 1996's "Swingers" hangs over everything in Jon Favreau's directorial debut "Made" and ultimately condemns it to unrealistic expectations and slight disappointment. Vince Vaughn and Favreau reunite in this tale of pathetic, wannabe gangsters. Much like "Swingers," "Made" is seen through the eyes of Favreau but is driven by Vaughn's obnoxious character. If there is such as thing as playing a role too well, Vaughn has done it in this film.

Phillips Electrifies Folk-Rock Sound

By Michael Abernethy | Aug. 23, 2001

Phillips Electrifies Folk-Rock Sound By Michael Abernethy Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor Grant-Lee Phillips' new album Mobilize is the folk rock equivalent to an iMac computer -- both are pieces of slick, sharp machinery in shiny, alluring packages. A gently persistent blend of electronic music and folk rock, Phillips' second solo album runs the gambit from rock to jazz with ease, thanks in part to the singer-songwriter's sparse, haunting vocals.

Local Act Strunken White Gives Final Performance

By Russ Lane | Aug. 21, 2001

From the audience's perspective at a sold-out show at Go! Rehearsal Studios Saturday night, local band Strunken White seemed like a pint-sized version of the typical indie rock band. Most bands populating Go! Rehearsal Studio's stage tend to fill the stage space completely, and Strunken White's young and physically small roster -- consisting of guitarists Nagendra Jayanty and Noah Howard, bassist John Booker and drummer Jonathan Stickley -- made the stage look spacious by comparison.

Film Festival Offers Outlet for Gays

By Michael Abernethy | Aug. 21, 2001

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor A local gay and lesbian film festival proved there's more to gay cinema than a marathon showing of "Will & Grace." Held Aug. 9-12 at the historic Carolina Theatre in Durham, the sixth annual N.C. Gay and Lesbian Film Festival drew record ticket sales of almost 9,000, making it the largest festival of its kind in the South. Cheryl Welsh, co-chairwoman of the steering committee for the N.C. Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, said the festival's 70 films covered a broad range of subjects and film genres.

Local 506 Faces Change

By Russ Lane | Aug. 21, 2001

Many local bands, just as many national acts and countless buckets of fried chicken --

Manning, Band to Perform at Go!

By Allison Schaffer | Jul. 26, 2001

3/5 stars Three of Five Stars The debut album from Barbara Manning and the Go-Luckys!, You Should Know By Now, is a resounding "okay." It isn't obtrusively bad, annoying or hard to listen to. It just isn't complex or innovative or even catchy enough to actively capture the ear's attention.

Third `Park' Proves Dull

By Jonathan Miller | Jul. 26, 2001

Two of Five Stars Remember when "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace" came out? Everyone thought the story was pretty good, but Jar-Jar Binks was an annoying nuisance in the film, only a source of cheap comic relief aimed at kids. The same holds true in "Jurassic Park III." Unlike "Jurassic Park," the second sequel relies on stupid, childlike comedy that cheapens the film with shallow laughs and a shallower plot.

Alumnus Returns to Shoot Film

By Russ Lane | Jul. 26, 2001

"The Pink House," an independent film shot in and inspired by Chapel Hill, is described as "Woody Allen does `Animal House.'" It defies all natural law. And it doesn't stop there. The film's writer-director, UNC alumnus Ian Williams, is a native Californian who lives in New York but still considers himself a Southerner after spending nearly a decade in Chapel Hill. In a similar manner, the film's crew is an odd yet fascinating clash of Los Angeles, New York and North Carolina cultures.

`Sweethearts' Parodies Itself

By Geoff Wessel | Jul. 26, 2001

Four of Five Stars When the movie industry wakes up after a night out on the town, stares at the mirror and thinks long and seriously about itself, the result can sometimes be, well, anything but serious. Thus, director Joe Roth brings us "America's Sweethearts," a movie about the people who make movies, and one of this summer's most endearing comedies.