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Home , Gross out, Hollywood Undead, Saw IV (soundtrack), Saw V

[email protected] Technique Entertainment Editor: Jennifer Aldoretta 13 Friday, Assistant Entertainment Editor: October 30, 2009 Entertainment Richard Otis

Dougherty’s twisted, straight-to- Trick ‘r TreAt DVD release rede!nes Halloween DVD horror withBy Danny Spillerkiller plot twists Trick ‘r Treat Senior Sta! Writer GENRE: Horror, If it’s Halloween, it must be time for , right? Forget that. !ough the STARRING: Dylan Baker, new installment of the torture porn franchise is sure to bring in hordes of mov- Anna Paquin and Brian Cox iegoers, the real Halloween movie is already here. Originally scheduled for an DIRECTOR: Michael Oct. 2007 release, Trick ‘r Treat is "nally out on DVD after being criminally Dougherty neglected a theatrical run. I say the lack of theatrical release is criminal because writer/director Michael Dougherty has crafted an absolute must-see movie for RATING: R anyone caught up in the Halloween spirit. DVD RELEASE: Oct. 6, 2009 What makes Trick ‘r Treat such an interesting "lm is that it takes an ap- proach to storytelling that is not often seen in feature-length movies. !e "lm is OUR TAKE: !!!!! broken into four distinct short stories, each one intertwining with the others in various ways. Other movies typically have more than one storyline running at once, but they happen simultaneously and come together to culminate in some "nal conclusion at the end. Trick ‘r Treat feels more like an anthology – four completely separate stories that hap- pen to run into each other in very inventive and unexpected ways. !e idea for Trick ‘r Treat originated from Dougherty’s animated short feature, “Season’s Greetings,” that was released back in 1996. !e story focuses on Sam, a costumed kid who is out past midnight trick-or-treating. Sam eventually walks down an alleyway and becomes cornered by an unknown stalker who follows him in. !e is led to believe this is the end of Sam, but it turns out there is something more sinister about Sam than we realize. !is four-minute hand-drawn cartoon became the basis for creating the character of Sam for the "nal "lm. !e less you know about the stories going into Trick ‘r Treat, the better. Avoid reading too much about plot points before seeing it because Dougherty has done a wonderful job of writing a screenplay with twists that are clever and not convoluted. Just know there are enough gross-out moments for gore hounds, along with plenty of dark humor and ghoulishness to really capture the mood of Halloween. And that’s what Trick ‘r Treat does better than anything else – nail the Halloween spirit. Everything about the "lm oozes Oct. 31 thanks to Dougherty’s smart directing and obvious love for the holiday. Cinematog- rapher Glen MacPherson is also highly commended for shooting such a surprisingly beautiful "lm. For a movie that takes place almost entirely at night, it is shockingly colorful, focusing clearly on oranges and yellows to further enhance the mood. Another element that plays an enormous role in how the "lm is perceived is the editing. With four main storylines to cut between, the editing has a huge e#ect on the end product. Choosing when to tell what part of which story could become tricky and confusing for the audience, but Trick ‘r Treat manages to slide between stories with ease and without ever throwing the audience o#. As for the acting, there are certainly some familiar faces among the cast, including Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. Considering the high caliber of actors in the "lm, it is no surprise that the acting is consistently solid. Even the younger and lesser known actors are able to pull o# great performances. !e only real problem people might have with Trick ‘r Treat is that it is not very scary, at least not in the modern “boo!” sense. Trick ‘r Treat relies more on storytelling, creepi- ness and unsettling scenes rather than full-blown scares, and while I consider that a wonderful thing, horror fans looking for more pop-out-at-you hor- ror style will need to look elsewhere. While 2009 has already seen some solid horror $icks (especially Sam Raimi’s excellent Drag Me to Hell), Trick ‘r Treat takes the cake as being the most enjoyable, even if not the scariest, horror "lm of the year.

Images courtesy of Warner Home Video Saw VI continues bloody saga with new horrors FILM ily surmised from conversation or they feel almost forced to "t in $ashbacks. with the story as it is. Only since Saw VI !e movie features just a few Saw IV has the franchise really GENRE: Crime, Horror main characters instead of an en- found its place as a series. It’s now STARRING: , Costas semble, making it a little easier to almost like a TV show because it Mandylor and Shawnee follow the plot. featured retains many of the same charac- Smith many people escaping one set of ters who deal with both problems traps and how they relate to each at hand and a larger story. DIRECTOR: other, while Saw VI mainly focus- !e special e#ects budget must RATING: R es on one man. Because all of the have taken a hit in this movie. audience’s attention can be spent Prosthetic e#ects were way under RELEASED: Oct. 23, 2009 on this one character, it makes for par. !ey were very obvious and a more compelling story. !e story poorly integrated with the actors, OUR TAKE: !!!!! and plot are much more focused which seemed to be a running and plain, making the "lm very theme throughout the movie. easy to comprehend. None of the blood and gore e#ects By Chris Ernst Several of the other Saw mov- were quite up to standards. Sta! Writer ies rely on convoluted plots to Most of them were done physi- present simple stories, diluting cally. !is creates a problem for Saw VI is one of the few Saw their essence for a gimmick-driven continuity because instead of hav- movies that could be watched movie. !is latest entry in the se- ing distinct blood splotches, peo- without seeing all the others in ries is comparably simple. While ple almost become impressionist order. While it does continue the still cheesy at times, it presents its works of art, bloodied up and let story arc set up by the previous drama in an easy to understand loose. entries in the series, the bulk of manner, actually making Saw VI For example, the "nale features the plot can be easily appreciated one of the better places to start the hydro$uoric acid, which sup- from what is presented solely in saga. posedly can eat through human this movie. What does take place !e previous movies all strug- in the previous movies is eas- gle a little to "nd signi"cance; See Saw, page16 Image courtesy of Lionsgate

ENTERTAINMENT Technique t0DUPCFS t 15 Tabernacle hosts metal rockers , Undead By Andrew Ho themselves into their "rst num- had to settle for a water bottle Hollywood Undead began rap- mance was set to keep the crowd Contributing Writer ber almost as soon as they hit the thrown their way, which they set ping, with heavy guitar chords on an excitable crest. stage, setting the crowd into a upon like a school of sharks. amplifying the experience, while While these artists aren’t en- Concert-goers at the Taber- frenzy as the moshing and crowd- While Atreyu had brought the the crowd set into a throbbing, tirely mainstream, there’s no nacle were treated to a night "lled sur"ng grew more frequent. crowd’s passions to a peak, bounc- undulating rhythm. doubt that those in attendance with eardrum-bursting guitar It wasn’t long before Varkatzas ing around and pumping their !ankfully, the instruments were treated to a rousing show to ri#s, drum solos and death growls was baring his tattooed chest and "sts almost the entire time, Holly- were just loud enough to comple- remember. From the main $oor on Oct. 24 with Atreyu and Hol- arms like other guys in the crowd, wood Undead worked them over ment the rapping rather than to the packed balconies, fans and lywood Undead. running around the stage and di#erently as the tunes went from drown it out, and there were plen- newcomers alike were enjoying Atreyu, the long-time metalc- spitting mists of water whenever to rap with a heavy ty of instances where the crowd the music and contagious fervor ore troupe hailing from Orange he wasn’t screaming vocals into metal current. Arriving on stage sang along with the songs. By the and perhaps giving an indication County, CA, brought their act to the mike. in the midst of a blinding strobe time their masks came o# after a on how the rest of the tour will go Atlanta. !e historic concert hot- Dan Jacobs was sporting his light and with their faces masked, few songs, the rest of the perfor- for these bands. spot was nearly packed to burst usual bloodstain-patterned gui- with the crowds that came out to tar in frenzied ri#s, working with see them, certainly pushing the Travis Miguel as they hopped up two and a half thousand crowd on platforms to showcase their capacity. Much of the crowd style. For obvious reasons, the vol- seemed to consist of younger fans ume went from loud to just about from high school and up, though head-splitting, and the lighting such youthful exuberance had a work was spectacular without un- perfect outlet on the main $oor. necessarily blinding the audience. !e night started o# right with One of few oddities that and !e Sleep- worked against this otherwise ing, who certainly worked well grand performance was bass- to get the crowd pumped up for ist Marc McKnight. Apparently the main attractions. While cer- not content enough with head- tainly upbeat and dynamic, with banging, McKnight felt the need !e Sleeping’s lead singer Doug- to thrash about and take center las Robinson interacting with the stage quite frequently. While the crowd quite often, !e Sleeping importance of a bass guitar player was perhaps the quietest band in is depends on who you’re talking relative terms of intensity and vol- to, it seemed a touch overdone. ume. A comical moment came After a brief bit of set-up, with shortly after the "nal song when credit to the road crew and sta# drummer Brandon Saller tossed a for being particularly quick on the drumstick high up into the crowd, job, it was about time to bring the and the stick ended up caught on big stars on stage. Atreyu threw one of the lighting rigs. !e crowd Photo by Kelvin Kuo/ Student Publications

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Saw from page 13 Uncharted 2 explores historical !ction $esh almost instantly. After being GAMES sets the bar high from the very pumped full of it, this character beginning with its never ending literally melts. !e movie gener- Uncharted 2: Among action and suspense. For example, ally goes for the drama when it Thieves the game opens up with the player comes to gore, but it doesn’t be- GENRE: Action, Adventure as Drake, shot in the abdomen, come ridiculous. sitting inside a freezing derailed While some parts may seem CONSOLE: PlayStation 3 train carriage barely hanging o# a unrealistic, who among the gen- DEVELOPER: Naughty Dog cli# near the snowy ridges of the eral population really knows what Himalayas, and it only gets better it’s like when someone’s jaw and RATING: Teen from there. head are blown apart? RELEASED: Oct. 13, 2009 To further compliment the Fans looking for a bloody, amazing script, the game com- gore-fest will be disappointed. OUR TAKE: !!!!! bines it with other aspects to !is "lm is more about the drama forge an unforgettable cinematic and the story than the gore. !ere By Zheng Zheng gaming experience. are several scenes for them, but ul- Sta! Writer First is the gamer interface, timately the characters and their which completely gets rid of any drama drive the "lm. Long has it been since a Play- and all displays such as health bars Image courtesy of Naughty Dog !e traps are not as imagina- Station 3 exclusive title stood and mini-maps that usually "ll platform adventure or stealth mis- to use terrains and obstacles to tive or as twisted as in the others over its competition and claimed the screen. Instead, the only thing sions. No matter which situation their advantage. in the series. !ey are frightening, glory for its console. Uncharted 2: that players will "nd on their the player is in however, the ter- Although both multiplayer but they do not inspire the same Among !ieves, the widely well re- screen while losing themselves in rain and its structures become a options are enjoyable, neither are awe and fear as many of the oth- ceived third-person action-adven- the story will be nothing more very important aspect of the game without $aws. In an age where ers. ture game developed by Naughty than the simple exhibition of the that provide strategy and com- multiplayer gaming pushes for a Even though it is less of an ex- Dog, broke that curse on Oct. 13 detailed environments presented plexity. !e single-player mode is more massive player versus player ercise in bloody, twisted gore for with its addictive cinematic game- by the game itself. available in four di#erent di%cul- experience, a game of ten people is which the franchise is famous, play and enticing plot develop- Also, like any successful mov- ties. hardly satisfactory. it succeeds where the others do ments. ie, Uncharted 2 provides a fantas- Aside from the completely sat- Overall, Uncharted 2 is a fan- not. Saw VI is more of a focused As the game’s protagonist, Na- tic score composed rightfully to isfying experience o#ered by the tastic piece of art that truly de- character-driven drama than the than “Nate” Drake, players jour- set the mood for anyone wanting single player mode, the game also serves its acclaimed reputation. others. !is is one of the best en- ney across di#erent subregions to begin the adventures of an ex- provides some multiplayer fea- !e cinematic gaming experience tries in the series and is de"nitely of Asia in order to pursue Marco plorer. tures. is beyond the scope of the tradi- worth a watch. Polo’s 14 ships of lost treasures, Using motion capture tech- !e co-operative option of the tional video game template and It is not designed to gain new lost at sea upon his return trip nology and maximized gaming multiplayer mode allows a maxi- on par with the future of simula- fans, but not knowing much or from China under Emperor Kub- engines, Naughty Dog developed mum of three players to complete tion gaming. anything about the previous mov- lai Khan. the game with unbelievably real- objectives as a team. !e competi- !e amount of careful e#orts ies is actually not much of a prob- !e historical mystery of Mar- istic and beautiful graphics that tive player versus player feature, put into this game by the devel- lem. Fans will appreciate the story co Polo’s ships intertwined with show o# PlayStation 3’s capabili- however, can o#er up to ten play- opers, along with PlayStation but will be disappointed by the the game developer’s fantastic ties. ers in four di#erent game modes. 3’s powerful abilities, makes the lack of gore. With no sign of end- writing provides a strong founda- !e gameplay is a perfect blend !is feature, although not as com- game a must have for any PlaySta- ing, the Saw series could continue tion for an alluring tale of love, of the action-packed shooter ex- plex as some of the other leading tion 3 users and a very tempting for a while thanks to this solid betrayal and discovery. !e game perience and the more placid shooter games, encourages players lure for those who are not. new addition. ENTERTAINMENT Technique t0DUPCFS t 17

THEME CROSSWORD: TELEVISION TRIVIA By Robert Zimmerman United Features Syndicate 47. California valley 1986 48. Noble’s partner 82. Disavowed ACROSS 49. Jim Nabors’ show, 1964- 85. Ramble 1. Christine of “!e Pilot’s 1970 86. Dade County seat Wife” 53. TV’s Tyne 87. Double-crosser 6. 1930s river project 54. Isolate 89. Revise 9. “- La Douce” 55. A stroll in Salamanca 91. Mexican salamander 13. Soap plant 56. He saves everything! 95. Vassal 18. Starting over, in a way 59. Roaring 20s, e.g. 96. Film’s original 19. Caribou 60. Detests “Scarface” 21. Bleated 61. Exchange for cash 98. Cultivate 22. TV series (1981-1982) 62. Order to troops 100. Flatbed cart based on hit record 64. Obi 101. Newcomer’s nest 24. Memory units 66. Confronts squarely 103. French open champ at 25. Columbus inst. 67. Mountain debris age 16 26. Kids’ refrain 68. Medication 106. Causing death 27. More melancholy 69. Jane Austen heroine 109. Broadcast 28. Wanes 70. Meg of the movies 110. Cook’s station 29. Film pirate in 2003 71. Bold 111. TV adventures of unlikely 31. Shantytown 72. 1,000 megabytes, spies, 1964-1968 33. Tiny nail for short 114. Boatman 35. A Great one 73. tribe 115. Entered uninvited 37. Most pretentious, at the 75. Pioneer atomic physicist, 116. Working class gallery d. 1954 117. Welles or Bean 40. Competitor 76. Charge in court 118. Swear 43. Quadruplets 79. Pro votes 119. Clock’s meas. 45. Former "rst lady 80. “M*A*S*H” spino#, 1979- 120. Stitched

DOWN 1. Tenant, usually 13. French clergyman 38. - “Fatha” Hines 14. “Andy Gri%th Show’s” TV 39. Does he "x $ats? 2. Without warning 58. It’s obvious! 77. Barber turned pop singer 93. Followed successor, 1968-1971 41. Workbench clamps 3. Quick $ight 60. Gabby of the old Westerns 78. O#spring 94. Ancient harps 15. Health food, for many 42. Rounds 4. Family a#air 61. Rascal 80. Previews 97. India’s "rst prime minister 16. Sheltered area on deck 44. Radio-TV genre 5. Cruci"x inscription 63. Prod to act: with “on” 81. Venice district 99. Adds fat before cooking 17. Ames and Asner 46. Andean grazers 6. Chisholm, 65. Longest-running TV po- 82. Skid Row nightmares 102. City on the Aar 18. Valerie’s TV character 49. Formation $yers for instance lice show in its day, 1968-1980 83. - set: traditional gift 104. Ostrich cousins 20. Snout kin 50. Freeway access 7. It may feel like velvet 66. Prisoner’s dream for junior 105. Gullible person 23. Adjunct to an altar 51. Obnoxious air 8. Be under the weather 67. Genesis mischief maker 84. Staten Island-Long Island 107. Rock-band luggage 30. Stacks 52. Consumed 9. Romantic interlude 71. !row with great e#ort separator 108. Come-on 32. Utilizes improperly 53. Big name in Chicago 10. Plato work 74. No in Novosibirsk 88. Countri"ed 110. Warning to playgoers 34. Fiasco 56. Traveler’s recompense 11. 1.094 yards 75. “Postcards - the Edge” 90. Disagree 112. To the - degree 36. Tricky curve 57. Paint sprayer 12. Dry land for Noah 76. Trojan war hero 92. Respected prophet 113. At this time

The Annual HAROLD W. GEGENHEIMER LECTURE ON INNOVATION NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: How lack of experience and knowledge of an industry is an advantage to developing innovative next generation products

David Phelps (ME 1981) President and CEO CreoSalus, Inc. Lexington, Kentucky

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 11:00 A.M. FERST CENTER FOR THE ARTS

There will be a reception after the lecture in the Love Building, 2nd floor atrium.

This event is sponsored by the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering t0DUPCFS tTechnique COMICS

PILED HIGHER & DEEPER BY JORGE CHAM NON SEQUITUR BY WILEY

CROSSWORD SOLUTION FROM PAGE 21 COMICS Technique t0DUPCFS t 19

NON SEQUITUR BY WILEY DILBERT ® BY SCOTT ADAMS