Donnie Klang Doesn't Make the Cut Angels and Airwaves Rocks Rams
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16 ARTS 10.07.08 The RetrIever Weekly g BODY OF LIES [R] CITY OF EMBER [PG] min If the title Body of Lies doesn’t ring a bell, you’ll probably recognize it as that mov- Saoirse Ronan gave an excellent performance in Atonement, and now, under the oto ie coming out where Russell Crowe has a white crew cut and put on some weight. It direction of the young Gil Kenan (Monster House), she is in the fantasy fi lm based C theaters is the story of an ex-journalist (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) under pressure by an on the novel of the same name, City of Ember, about an underground city that agent (Crowe) to locate an Al Qaeda leader (though that is hard to gather from the is the only light in the world...until the generator begins to fail. Co-starring Tim This week by Erica trailer). DiCaprio and Crowe are two of the most dedicated actors in the business Robbins, Martin Landau, and Bill Murray, the cast defi nitely feels awkward and I’m and any fi lm with either of them is usually worth watching; one with both is even not exactly sure how serious this fi lm takes itself. One thing is certain though: visu- better. Directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator, American Gangster), Body of Lies should ally, it looks great. The story should provide enough of an adventure to keep one Balanc warrant good performances under good direction. Hopefully the story is just as satisfi ed, and so hopefully all elements will come together to make City of Ember a good. solid fi lm. ROCKNROLLA [R] QUARANTINE [R] RocknRolla (say with a British accent) is a limited release, but I decided to write With Halloween just around the corner, the horror movie genre is getting its time about it anyway because it has the best title of any fi lm coming out this year. to shine. I personally think that a good horror movie is rare, with one coming out Directed by Guy Ritchie, there has been some speculation that this is going to only every now and then. But they tend to do well at the box offi ce because audi- be his “make-it or break-it” fi lm (he also wrote the screenplay). Though he has ences simply want to be scared, not so much impressed by a well-made fi lm that been through a string of fl ops, I have faith that RocknRolla could clear his name can hold up for years to come. Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, Jay Hernandez and as it leads him into his next highly-anticipated project: Sherlock Holmes, starring Columbus Short star in this fi lm about a group of people locked inside a quaran- Robert Downey, Jr. as Holmes and (get this) Jude Law as Watson. The fi rst shot in tined apartment building, leaving behind only a video tape when the quarantine is one trailer for RocknRolla shows a man slowly shaking his hips from side to side fi nally lifted. This fi lm employs the darkly-lit, handheld camera style that is meant as he explains what a real “rocknrolla” is. The plot is that a real estate scam leads to make it feel more realistic, like the audience is there, but really it is more an- to various thugs in London looking to claim the millions of pounds now available noying than anything. There are plenty more horror fi lms coming to theaters this to be taken. Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Idris Elba, Ludacris, month (including Saw V), so I’d advise skipping this one in hopes for something and Jeremy Piven make up the cast, which leaves me with fi ngers crossed, hoping better, or just watching a classic horror fi lm in the spirit of Halloween. RocknRolla is good. Donnie Klang doesn't make the cut Derek Roper ing that one day he hopes to overhear we hear “Love sick but I got the cure” There.” The video also features — ready CONTRIBUTING WRITER somebody say, "Hey, that is a Donnie and, worse, “Got to rescue you with my for another surprise? — Diddy. Klang song." This is very unlikely. medicine.” But the mush train doesn’t One of the shocking parts of this As the season fi nale of Making the His album, which is not surprisingly stop there. “Take You There,” the second whole fi asco is the producer is none Band 4 reached its shocking end, a series priced on Amazon.com at $9.99 (the song on the album, manages to take on other than Seven Aurelius who is re- regular dropped a CD in August. Even price it is worth), has surprisingly got- Superman himself, “You can play Lois sponsible for hits from Jennifer Lopez, though he has his own CD, he may be ten into the top 100 of their MP3 album Lane / When you need me I can be your Ashanti and Ja Rule. Shame on you, digging himself a hole. rank. It is also strange to see his spot on Superman.” The potential is there but it Aurelius. According to his website, he is Fresh out of the well-oiled PR ma- the Billboard Top 100. However, the ends up feeling like a bad DC Comics still growing as a song writer. Aren’t they chine that is P. Diddy comes Donnie spots don’t atone for his bubblegum Elseworld tale written by Judd Winick. all? It should be mentioned that Donnie Klang and his debut album Just a Roll- pop feel. With shallow song titles such Musically, the album isn’t much bet- Klang’s impressive feat is the MySpace ing Stone (Bad Boy Records). While he as “Dr. Love” and “Hurt that Body,” he is ter. His voice is drowned out by the beat page. One wonders how he can fi t so is a P. Diddy creation, his debut album really no better than his peers in Day 26, but he manages to make some attempts many Bad Boy Records logos and his does little to make a name in the music who slither in the shadows of The Spice in “Take You There.” Most of the open- pictures with Diddy. According to his industry. Girls version 2.0 Danity Kane. ing is followed by an echo which works MySpace, he is touring the East Coast, Klang got his start on Making the Band The album has been described by most of the time (in the fi rst two lines mainly New York. Diddy probably isn’t and is currently on Making the Band 4. reps as harkening back to a time when of the song) but after four, one is sick letting this PR puppy off the leash. He The New York native says he grew up albums were a cohesive piece. Taking of it. He does, however, believe in envi- should put out another album before listening to the R&B greats like Boyz II a look at some of the tracks on the al- ronmentally-friendly music because he running with the big dogs. Men, Jodeci, and even Dru Hill. But he bum says otherwise. Just think of the 16 seems to be recycling Diddy’s beats from COURTESY BAD BOY RECORDS says he has found himself jamming to tracks that appear on the album. That “Last Night” and using them to carry his > Klang can’t live up to the hype. Back Street Boys and 'N Sync. In past in- is a lot of hours listening to lyrical art goods. The CD has already spawned a Comments can be sent to terviews he refl ected on his music, say- (using the term loosely). In “Dr. Love,” music video — for, surprise, “Take You [email protected]. Angels and Airwaves rocks Rams Head Live! Derek Roper away, don't sail away,” the infamous The quality came when Friday Night CONTRIBUTING WRITER lyrics from “The Crush.” Apparently a Boys took to the stage and drew the time cult favorite, the voices from the people for Angels closer. They gave another Lights fl ashed and the sound system on all tiers of the venue started to echo plug for American Diary, “Give it up for boomed at Rams Head Live! on Sept. through Rams Head. Ben and Mike’s American Diary,” vocalist Andrew Gold- 28 as Maryland-based band American hands jogged across the guitar strings stein exclaimed. “Those guys are freak- Diary took the stage to perform with sending out wave after wave of hard- ing awesome.” Crowd morale returned their inspirations, Angels and Airwaves. hitting melodies. The stocky Ingley when “That’s what she said” blared over Angels broke off from the Weezer 2008 hardly moved from the microphone, the sound system and Christ Barrett tour to make a pit stop. yet his lyrics are fast-paced and matter- pounded the drums. Alex Gaskarth from “Our tour manager asked us if we of-fact, leaving fans not to challenge the All Time Low made a cameo on stage were able to play with Angels and emotions he was sending their way. After and belted out a couple lines that left fan Airwaves and we were like, that’s a no energized performances of “Life without boys and girls throwing their hands up brainer,” AD vocalist Mike Clark said. Living” and “Heart Attack Pact,” the and shouting for more. Diary was pumped before the show and band thanked the audience and rushed After too long of a break, the crowd said that the band have been mentors to off stage.