[email protected] Technique Entertainment Editor: Jennifer Aldoretta 13 Friday, Assistant Entertainment Editor: February 12, 2010 Entertainment Zheng Zheng Umphrey’s McGee Travolta’s acting career pained by Paris brings color to FILM Paris With Love. Luc Besson wrote all of these. From Paris With Love Before Besson started writing formu- laic action movies, he was a renowned Tabernacle GENRE: Action, Thriller director, most famously known for STARRING: John Travolta directing Leon: he Professional. hat movie is the reason why you have heard DIRECTOR: Pierre Morel of Natalie Portman. It is good movie, RATING: R with dramatic portions that serve the action by giving the audience a reason RELEASE DATE: Feb. 5, 2010 to care about what is going on in the plot. It also has a terriic villain (which OUR TAKE: ««««« From Paris With Love sorely lacks). he reader of this review might By Robert Solomon think “Why does this matter?” Surely a Contributing Writer great action movie can solely skirt by on the strange charisma of the lead actor. Before starting this review, I tried to his is how Schwarzenegger and Stal- remember John Travolta movies I had lone made their careers, by being com- seen in the past ten years that weren’t pellingly strange men. One believes completely pointless or terrible. his that Travolta fancies himself a strange was diicult. A quick glance at the man too. It is the only way one could web found only one movie Travolta has explain Travolta’s portrayal of govern- done in this time that wasn’t awful: A ment operative Charlie Wax. Love Song for Bobby Long. Starting with Has anyone seen Pulp Fiction? Re- Battleield Earth and ending with From member how Travolta looked in that Paris With Love, Travolta has a decade movie with long hair and a black suit, of roles he might regret playing. looking both ridiculous and cool all at his is probably an unfair com- the same time? Well, Charlie Wax is parison, considering that this is a “Luc the opposite of this: long black leather Besson Euro-Trash Action Movie” jacket, shaved head and rounded goa- through and through. You know the tee. Wax spews profanity and refers to type, even if you don’t know the name. his gun his wife. Wax’s methods are Perhaps you have seen one of the Trans- unorthodox, but really he is just a good porter movies or Taken, which was also directed by the mind behind From See Paris, page 15 Sparks fails to ignite ireworks with John FILM Unfortunately, it falls short of its more successful predecessors due to its pre- Dear John dictability and lack of real chemistry. Tatum plays John, a tough brooding Photo by Kelvin Kuo/Student Publications GENRE: Romance, Drama military guy on leave from the Middle Umphrey’s bassist Ryan Stasik jams at The Tabernacle on Saturday, Feb. 6. The band’s STARRING: Amanda East in the spring before the Sept. 11 eclectic sound of rock, funk, metal and reggae attracted enough people to pack the venue. Seyfried, Channing Tatum attack. Seyfried plays Savannah, a rich preppy girl with a heart of gold vaca- CONCERT out the show. With all these tion and Stomper Bob which DIRECTOR: Lasse Hallström tioning on the Carolina coast. hey Umphrey’s McGee genres meshed together, they played both original and cover RATING: PG-13 meet unexpectedly when John saves her were able to create a unique songs of artists including Guns purse from a watery grave and the two VENUE: The Tabernacle sound that not many jam- N’ Roses, Vince Guaraldi RELEASE DATE: Feb. 5, 2010 swiftly immerse in a two-week whirl- DATE: Feb. 6, 2010 bands are able to produce. (Peanuts theme) and others. wind romance. GENRE: With all the musical inlu- Current guitarist Jake OUR TAKE: ««««« John’s stoic and socially inept na- ences, they were more apt to Cinninger was added to the ture is mostly attributed to growing up OUR TAKE: ««««« jam than sing, although lyrics band in Sept. 2000. He, with By Patricia Uceda with an emotionally challenged father, still accompany most of their a harder rock background, Contributing Writer played wonderfully by Richard Jen- By Kelvin Kuo songs. added a new dimension to kins. When John was younger he didn’t Photography Editor he members are the epito- Umphrey’s McGee sound. he Dear John, the latest Nicholas notice his father’s problem and used to me of musicians because they following year, the band began Sparks book to be cast into a movie, enjoy collecting coins with him. Even- Umphrey’s McGee, a pro- never have the same exact to create more unique sounds stars Amanda Seyfried and Channing gressive jam-band based out show twice. With their origi- as they coalesced into an im- Tatum as the two star-crossed lovers. See John, page 14 of , performed at the nality, there’s no need to worry provisational band. Image courtesy of Screen Gems Tabernacle on Feb. 6. he ven- about pirated music or show In July 2004, after percus- ue seemed to be lacking in at- taping. Umphrey’s McGee sionist and drum- tendance at irst while opening continuously publishes music mer were added to act Dubconcious was perform- on their podcast to encour- the roster, the band released ing. Slowly, the Tabernacle age and promote their tour. their irst national EP, Anchor was becoming a sardine can of he show was nothing short of Drops. It was recognized by a venue as Umphrey’s McGee their promotion, as a fresh and Rolling Stone Magazine to was inching to performance. unique sound. “have become odds-on favor- he crowd would burst into he band formed back at ites in the next- sweep- screams when slight move- the University of Notre Dame stakes.” ments on stage were seen, and in 1997 with guitarist and vo- Overall, the concert was Umphrey’s McGee did not calist , bassist very successful, even for the tease for a long time. Ryan Stasik and keyboardist popular Umphrey’s. his is a he show created musical , who still re- highly recommended band for euphoria for all in attendance, main with added drums, per- anyone interested in discov- with rock, reggae, metal, funk, cussion and guitar. he band ering base-centerd jam-band soul, hardcore and classic rock was the result of the combina- music or an appreciation to- sounds incorporated through- tion of two bands: Tashi Sta- wards what real musicians are. 14 • February 12, 2010 • Technique ENTERTAINMENT

1 4 2 5

3 7 1 4 8 6 9 3 2 9 5 7 8 3 1 6 4 7 2 9 5

Image courtesy of Screen Gems John from page 13 tell each other everything. As a re- commendable job, although Ta- 3 6 2 1 sult, much of this movie is spent tum is deinitely more eye candy tually he outgrew that, unlike his with endless montages of the war than a good actor. Seyfried, from father, instead of becoming ob- and reading letters. ilms as Mean Girls and Mamma sessed with it. Director Lasse Hallström is Mia!, does not develop her acting SUDOKU Now that John is older he almost trying to prove their love, skills any further in this movie, rarely talks to his father, believing which was lackluster to begin instead spending most of her time PUZZLES they no longer have anything in with, with this never-ending dis- moping around for John. hey Fill in the grid so that every row, column and common. he father and son re- play of devotion. have a strong physical attraction lationship is one of the few good Not suprisingly, everything toward each other, but emotional- 3 by 3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. aspects of this movie, as it is both changes when after Sept. 11. John ly it falls lat, especially since they interesting to watch and moving is suddenly forced to choose be- have such a short time together. 2 8 5 to see how it develops as the story tween love and duty when the time he war scenes are poorly pro- unfolds. for re-enlistment rolls around. He duced and not very realistic at all. 1 3 5 John and Savannah are the chooses duty along with every here is one scene where John gets typical example of a couple where other man in his squadron. his randomly shot, especially since “opposites attract.” While she is time the distance proves to be too there are people yelling at him not 9 3 building a house for Habitat for much for Savannah and she ends to enter a building (and he does Humanity, he is getting into ist their relationship. anyway). he audience is made ights with boys on the beach. his movie contains all the in- to think he is dead but then we 2 7 3 Despite their diferences, they fall gredients of a Sparks’ ilm. Substi- see him lying in a hospital bed in deeply in love and profess their tute in the war with disapproving the next scene. he whole scene is 4 8 undying love for each other after parents and you practically have over-dramatized and highly un- just two weeks together. he Notebook. he staple rainy ro- necessary. Unfortunately, because this is mantic scenes are there, but minus Overall, this movie is a decent 8 5 9 based on a Sparks book, it’s easy any tear-jerker moments. Instead romantic drama with a few good to igure out that something bad of crying, the viewer will feel moments that get muddled down 2 4 is going to happen to rip these two frustrated at the main character’s in depressing montages. heir love lovers apart. erratic decisions. he soundtrack may not be that believable, but he rip comes in the form of was also misleading, with the Hallström never stops trying to 7 9 1 the war. John has a year-long tour beautiful song “Set the Fire to the make it work. of duty and Savannah promises to hird Bar” playing nonstop in the It deinitely falls short of early 1 2 8 wait for him. While he is away, previews but not once during the Sparks movie adaptations such as they write a continuous stream of actual movie. A Walk to Remember or he Note- letters to each other, promising to Tatum and Seyfried both do a book.

sliver www.nique.net typing “georgia tech” in google and the irst auto-suggestion was “georgia tech sword” NOTE TO OIT: make Prism accessible everywhere. thx :p Shameful... you know better than to leave a derivative out in the cold British Swagga = Prof. Smith Voltaire was a genius: “No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking” (Note to self: start CS homework EARLIER in the week) just lost the 9 key plate on my keyboard I collect typewriters if you stroke spiders, they go bald To the nique staf: bringing the sword story to print for the next day was really cool. Chapeau! cannibals like to show pornos to male prey before consumption, just so there’s more meat i think i love you, so what am i so afraid of? February 14th is Chinese New Year!!!!!!!!! To the girl who keeps looking up my information online... CREEPER! Grad school decisions are killing me... So who else is going to Muse this month? Wait, someone brought crablegs to class? hat’s both annoying and classy at the same time. Am I seriously the only Tech student who knows anything about grammar? No, I do not want a Fanta. hanks for the ofer though. Seriously, am I the only one who thinks the blonde in Folk 118 is super sexy?!?!? 2 anti-concealed cary articles int he paper and multiple facebook statuses, when did tech become so paciist? to the person slivering third eye blind songs last week: you’re awe- some. So when is the orange bowl??? to my roommate, other people can hear you singing I Gotta Feel- ing in the shower at 4:30 in the morning ENTERTAINMENT Technique • February 12, 2010 • 15

CITY SCENE Photo by Chris Gooley/ Student Publications By Kenny Phillips Senior Staf Writer Botanical Gardens pollinates Valentine’s Day Is your lover bored by store bought lowers? Treat him or her to an evening of splendor at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Cakes, cocktails and atmosphere are all available at the Val- entines in the Garden event. Attendees will be gifted with one glass of pink champagne, and a cash bar holds the provision of alcohol for the rest of the evening. At only $30 per person, the beauty and the availability of cheesecake, cotton candy and champagne this enchanted evening is surely still favorably compared to those hackneyed roses. If you want more infor- mation on how to make Feb. 13 memorable this year, visit www.atlantabotanicalgarden. org/site/involvement/valentines. Emory’s Festival hosts Grammy-winning musicians Jazz savvy Techies should know it is once again time for Emory University’s Jazz Festival. he weekend is packed with demonstrations and two public concerts. A free to attend big Image courtesy of Lionsgate band performance on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. may be the inale, but the true treat of Paris from page 13 But no! here is not one mo- the festival would be Friday’s concert. Beginning at 8 p.m., Friday’s concert will be hosting ment where Wax dives and slides Grammy awarded bassist John Clayton in a jazz trio with percussionist Herlin Riley and guy trying to teach the new guy and we believe it. Travolta is 56 Emory’s own Gary Motley. Friday’s concert is only $15 and all other events are free. the ropes. years old, but this is not the issue. Now, a sane reviewer would If we wanted to believe Travolta, Flogging Molly takes Tabernacle by storm give this movie an extra star, ad- then we would, but we don’t be- mitting that it was passably made cause Travolta has never been he sounds of traditional Celtic songs mixed with punk rock music will lock with the and a decent diversion if one does good in a conventional action loating hearts on Valentine’s Day weekend. Saturday, Feb. 13, he Tabernacle hosts Flog- not expect much. However, this movie, ever. It takes a movie of ging Molly. It has almost been two years since the release of Float, but under the evidence of is precisely the problem! At some unusual character, usually with a their live recording from he Greek heater, the band is going strong. Flogging Molly will point, the artistry of action mov- dose of song or dance, to bring out be performing the Celtic/punk fusion that has given them so much recognition, and with ies got lost in a lurry of CGI and the best of his talents. tickets running from $28 now to $30 that night it is almost too easy to attend. For lovers editing. Travolta needs to disco dance, looking for something interesting to do this weekend, he Tabernacle is looking pretty hot. he Schwarzenegger classic metaphorically speaking, not Commando feels like Italian Neo- shoot a gun. For more information, visit www.tabernacleatl.com. Realism compared to movies like hen again, if you can’t make ASO’s Abbado conducts two classical performances From Paris With Love. At least a movie entertaining while having Roberto Abbado has been a worldwide conductor for many years and now leads the At- Commando had real explosions, one of the main characters run- lanta Symphony Orchestra. During two performances, hursday and Saturday (Feb. 11 and cheesy one-liners and a star that ning around Paris with a two-foot actually seemed like he was capa- blue vase full of cocaine for an 13) at 8 p.m., Abbado will lend his talents to conduct the ASO and singers of the Atlanta ble of performing his heroic acts half the running time, then per- Symphony Chorus. he program lows from Church Sonatas by Mozart to the grand inish within an alternate universe that haps there are much bigger prob- —Beethoven’s 1st Symphony. he tickets vary in price from $20 - $75 and may be purchased we are more than happy to reside lems here. I cannot recommend at www.atlantasymphony.org. in. this movie less.

place your CLASSIFIEDS with the technique classiieds.nique.net 16 • February 12, 2010 • Technique ENTERTAINMENT Tech, SCAD host engaging Art History of Games

Image courtesy of Game Freak By Robert Solomon Image courtesy of id Software to-arms, the tone sounded less Contributing Writer like philosophy and more Internet trolling. On Feb. 4 to 6, a symposium In contrast, Braithwaite spoke gathered at the Rich Auditorium directly to the artistic process sur- at the High Museum of Art to rounding her game One Falls for talk about games, mostly digital Each of Us, a board game based on in nature. the forced relocation of the Cher- he event was co-hosted by okee during the Trail of Tears. A Tech and the Savannah College tragic event may seem a strange of Art and Design (SCAD). he inspiration for a board game, but purpose of this conference was to Braithwaite argued convincingly investigate games as an art form, that tragedy was as valid for gam- featuring members in the ields ing as it was for other forms. of game studies, art history, and After a lively panel featuring other related areas of cultural these game creators, the inal talk studies as well as practicing game was given by Christiane Paul, who developers. spoke on curation of New Media Until now, the vast majority of works in established spaces. he symposiums about video games inal panel with her and several have been convened from the renowned game designers also commercial side of the equation, featured some of the most pointed most notably the Game Devel- comments of the symposium. A Image courtesy of Number None opers Conference. However, the Image courtesy of Nintendo EAD dry afair, this was not. question surrounding games like In her conclusion, Tech’s Ja- Braid at this particular sympo- found today. make games more narrative and festival. he highlights of this day net Murray spoke directly to the sium was not about sales igures. On Friday, the shift focused to cinematic. came from the duo known as Tale artistic conlict grappled by the It was instead about the artistic the more academic side of games. Lantz delivered an inspiring of Tales and long-time game de- festival, noting that she herself merits of the games. John Sharp, professor at SCAD, talk about the passions of three veloper Brenda Braithwaite. was optimistic for the future. his After opening remarks, the delivered remarks reminding the diferent artists that seem on the Tale of Tales noted that their sentiment was echoed throughout opening address was given by audience of how gaming has been surface to be completely unre- game Vanitas was in fact not a the symposium. John Romero, the co-founder interwoven into the development lated to artistic expression. For game at all, instead being an in- For a more real-time look at of id Software and co-designer of culture for many centuries. instance, Nabokov, the author of teraction meant to provoke deeper the reactions of participants at the of groundbreaking FPS shoot- he next two speakers, Jasper Lolita, was an avid butterly col- meaning. In conjunction with symposium, search what Ian Bo- ers such as Doom and Quake. Juul and Frank Lantz, both trav- lector. Lantz found little difer- this game, Tale of Tales delivered gost referred to as the Twitter back Romero’s focus primarily lay in eled from NYU for the confer- ence between Nabokov’s butterly a talk that was more political the- channel by searching for posts the groundbreaking technical ef- ence. Juul highlighted the war- collecting and the ability of Poké- atre than lecture, arguing that with hashtag “#AHoG”. he sym- forts by early programmers in the ring factions over the aesthetics mon fans to remember minute de- games were not art at all. posium-commissioned games, games industry, inding new ways of “pure” gaming, citing how tails about their preferred game. At the end, they declared they Sixteen Tons, Vanitas and Sleep is to not only optimize their code, process intensive games that gen- On Saturday, the talks turned were starting a new movement, to Death, will remain on exhibit at but establish new gameplay con- erated their content dynamically to developers who had worked on be entitled “Notgames.” While the Kai Lin gallery in Midtown ventions, many of which are still are often at odds with the drive to the games commissioned for the the talk was likely meant as a call- until March. ENTERTAINMENT Technique • February 12, 2010 • 17 THEME CROSSWORD: FLORAL ARRANGEMENT By Robert Zimmerman United Features Syndicate 47. Gotcha! 86. Sat. preceder 48. Pond surface, perhaps 87. Fill to the max ACROSS 49. Big books 89. Ignores the limit 1. Ten-speed 50. Decompose 90. Supply for a blast 5. Fable in London 51. Genetic marker 91. Keep him away from re- 11. To’s partner 52. Fastener lecting pools! 14. Takes a chance 53. Carmen’s aunt 94. Missing at roll call 19. “To a Skylark” et al. 54. Six women, so-called in 95. Make diverse 20. Western capital 1989 ilm title 96. Tall and slim 21. Hawaiian volcano Mauna - 60. Make unhappy 97. Column 22. Reading matter Web 64. “here you are!” 100. Black-ink item 23. Her address in the 1990s 65. Rouge or blanc 103. Family member was “Melrose Place” 66. Shoe feature 104. English title 26. Deck of cards 67. Actress Hasso 105. Prof.’s degree 27. Was a candidate 68. Guard 107. Sorceress in the “Odys- 28. - mater 71. - Moines sey” 29. Belief 72. Misrepresent 108. She invited everyone to 30. East, West and Gulf 73. Kind of missile her house 31. Not easy to grasp 75. She was married in Dog- 113. Tatum, for one 33. Snowstorm aftermath patch in 1952 114. Needs paying 36. Fix dinner 79. Classical lead-in 115. Cough drop 37. Woodwind instrument 80. Numismatist’s pride 116. Henri’s head 38. Nonsense! 81. Beseech 117. Very recently 40. Gunowner’s org. 82. Sister 118. AARP mbrs. 43. Bird sanctuary 83. Geometry subject 119. Smooched 46. Oil-ield silhouettes 85. Signal with the eye 120. Makes lace DOWN 1. 1975 Nobel physicist 17. Sheepshank, e.g. 44. 1978 Best Actor 2. Inventor’s need 18. Movie backdrops 45. Mature insect 3. Actor Reeves 24. hose with intense dislikes 46. By memory 4. Superlative conclusion 25. Speech defect 48. Asian religion 5. “To a Skylark” poet 30. Chanel of fashion 50. Host’s request 69. Marksman’s calculation 1975 99. Scarlett’s Butler 6. Designated, as with a word 32. Aberdeen hillside 51. Valley 70. Traic sign 84. Dickens heroine 100. Church painting 7. Jar 33. Maliciousness 55. Sins 72. GI’s irst training 86. Cabbie’s request 101. Muses or Mets 8. - Speedwagon 34. Sawmill arrival 56. Reasonable judgment 73. Fever 87. Common ID 102. Hands 9. Letter abbr. 35. Preceding downs, some- 57. UMW member 74. European deer 88. Summer mo. 103. Whiskey - 10. Asian ox times 58. Once - lightly 75. “- What Comes Natur’lly” 89. Eddied 104. Flemish painter Jan van - 11. Heavyset 36. George M. 59. Cotton iber (Irving Berlin) 91. To be speciic ... 106. Indigo and henna, e.g. 12. Wander 39. Dance with a kick 61. Bad sign in business 76. “- Misbehavin’” 92. Crocuses 108. Rtes. 13. Scull propeller 40. College-sports org. 62. Cools down 77. Wed 93. Mail enclosure: inits. 109. Peak: abbr. 14. Captured again 41. Sen. Feingold 63. No problem 78. Nervous 94. Geronimo, for one 110. 100 square meters 15. Fisherman Walton 42. Sound booster 67. Hunt for 80. Hundred lbs. 95. Spoken 111. Big bird of fable 16. Knights 43. “- boy!” 68. Pisces, for one 83. Space program, 1961 to 98. Sleep phenomenon 112. Mel of the Giants 18 • February 12, 2010 • Technique COMICS

PILED HIGHER & DEEPER BY JORGE CHAM NON SEQUITUR BY WILEY

CROSSWORD SOLUTION FROM PAGE 17 COMICS Technique • February 12, 2010 • 19

NON SEQUITUR BY WILEY DILBERT ® BY SCOTT ADAMS