[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: Progressive Rock 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 Chicago, 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 Andy Farag and drum- tendance at irst while opening continuously publishes music mer Kris Myers 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-Phish 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 Brendan Bayliss, 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 Joel Cummins, 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.