Dancing in the Streets
Step Up 2: The Streets
3/10
by Emily DeBeer
Many of you may be familiar with the 2006 release of the popular dance movie Step Up. This past Valentine’s Day, the sequel Step Up 2: The Streets came to theaters, continuing the dance craze. The first Step Up was a predictable story about a poor kid who knows how to break it down at the local club, teamed up with a rich ballerina from a hoity-toity art school. The two dancers learn from each other’s style and work out their romantic issues just in time for the school’s showcase, guaranteeing them both a dancing gig upon graduation. Step Up 2, however, had a very different arena in which the dancers had to prove themselves. That’s right—the streets.
The movie opens with the main character’s sob story. Andie West’s (Briana Evigan) mother recently died, leaving her with nothing but her rep on said streets. Her crew, unfortunately, gets her into trouble, so her old friend Tyler Gage (the main character from the original Step Up, played by the handsome Channing Tatum) tells her to enroll in his alma mater, the Maryland School for the Arts (also known as MSA), in order to get her act together. After a couple of cliché scenes of about being cut from her street crew and adjusting to a new high school, Andie is able to assemble a team of misunderstood art dorks who, surprisingly, all know how to break-dance and crump. She also nabs Chase Collins (Robert Hoffman), the high school’s studly male ballerina.
Throughout the movie, it was more than apparent that the casting first and foremost depended on dance experience. It’s safe to say that each and every one of the roles was over-acted, and came off sounding like an episode of The Brady Bunch. Another bothersome aspect of the film was its tendancy towards product placement, as the secret alerts of the dance battles required constant texting on people’s Sidekicks, and the characters noticeably made mention of how “sick” a certain Timbaland jam was. Perhaps the most annoying thing about Step Up 2 was the fact that it completely avoided the absurdity of white kids thinking they can represent. At least the original Step Up went into racial issues, and the hard-knock life one faces in the ghetto. In contrast, the sequel had an idealistic message. It seems a little hard to believe that any of these white kids could ever earn any street cred, no matter what their moves are, especially characters like the lanky and loveable Moose (Adam G. Sevani), or the token Asian girl, Kido (Mari Koda).
What it all comes down to are the dance scenes, which were admittedly entertaining. This movie may have absolutely no substance in its dialogue, acting, or plot, but at least it has several mini music videos. The film culminates in a final dance battle that literally takes place on the streets, in the rain. Coincidentally, MSA’s head director was present at the dance battle as he attempted to stop the hooligans’ disruptive behavior, and was then able to see the talent of Andie and her crew. The mean streets never treated them so good.
It Bites
Turok [XBox 360/PS3]
7.5/10
by Jason Polanski
As a game series that went from greatness to pure disappointment, the Turok lineage is inconsistent. The series went into hiding for six years after the abysmal Turok: Evolution. Acclaim, the game’s publisher went under. Fast-forward to present day, and Turok is back on track, the once-great series revived by Touchstone Studies and Propaganda Games.
Like previous entries, Turok places you in the shoes of Native American protagonist Turok, who finds himself in a situation that involves guns, bows and arrows, and dinosaurs (yes, dinosaurs). The similarities end there. Now, you’re a space marine following a coherent plot (missing from earlier titles), which revolves around a mission to capture a rogue agent up to some unknown evil deed. The twist reveals itself when you find out that the agent is operating from a planet inhabited by dinosaurs that serve as obstacles on your path to success. Though this whole setup may sound a bit ludicrous, the plot works well as a whole, providing a compelling narrative through well-directed flashback sequences. In addition, there is character development that will give you a sense of connection with your team beyond the standard, squad-based shooter format.
What makes Turok stand out are two important things: dinosaurs and a knife. The combination of these factors elevates it to an above-average title by mixing up the combat dramatically from other first-person shooting games. For example, if you are facing a raptor you can take out your guns and go Rambo on its ass, or you can whip out your knife and perform a melee kill that is executed in gloriously bloody detail. It’s not just one attack per dinosaur either; you could stab it in the head and watch the blade protrude through its mouth, or jump on its back to slit its throat. During these sequences, the camera will shift to third person in order to show all the detail.
The game takes a bit of a misstep when the dinosaurs go away, and you’re left to fight brain-dead enemy soldiers. They offer virtually no challenge, which leaves the combat feeling a bit dry and mundane. The saving grace is the stunning scenery, set in lush and detailed jungle environments—that, and the promise of a one-on-one T-Rex fight.
I’ll admit it, I had fun with Turok. It definitely puts the series back on track, while offering an interesting diversion to those looking for a game to blow through in a weekend. It doesn’t do anything revolutionary, but it’s not trying to. What you get is simply an above- average game in the shooter sub-genre that offers enough thrills and memorable moments to keep you playing to the end.
Une Bonne Histoire D'Amour
2 Days In Paris
6.5/10
by Seth Silverbush
Julie Delpy’s latest film, 2 Days In Paris, sailed under the radar while it was out in theatres in 2007, but should stir some interest this year with its DVD release. The motion picture stars Delpy, who also wrote and directed the movie, and Adam Goldberg, famous for his role as The Hebrew Hammer.
The film begins with Delpy’s character, Marion, talking about her relationship with Jack (Adam Goldberg), which informs us about their history. According to Marion, the two are visiting her hometown of Paris for a couple days to revamp their bond, since their last trip to Venice left them with nothing but the pains of gastroenteritis. In their first onscreen conversation, Jack’s constant whining about his nausea and migraines quickly becomes an immense shortcoming of his character. Anger soon turns into laughter, as his personality proves similar to the loveably quirky Woody Allen. The entire film invokes the classic Woody Allen and Diane Keaton chemistry in Annie Hall, as it explores the emotional and sexual ties between Jack and Marion through clever dialogue, mostly in French.
While subtitles dominate the bottom half of the screen for most of the movie, the best lines are delivered in English, by Adam Goldberg’s character. “I’m American, right? And in America, what’s mine is mine. See, my first religion is private property. Don’t trespass. Don’t touch my shit. Or I’ll kill you,” is a hysterical, if not too concise, dissection of our very own culture. Throughout the movie, Jack meets several individuals whose intimate past encounters with his girlfriend threaten the couple’s relationship. Unfortunately for Jack, it is difficult to play the over-protective boyfriend when you don’t know how to say “back the fuck off” in French.
Goldberg’s acting and Delpy’s exceptional directing make the film enjoyable to watch, and the pair’s paranoia and unbalanced behavior play off of each other. It is essentially a chick flick since the entirety of it is based around dialogue which fastens itself on the sole topic of romantic relationships, and the only brief nudity is of Goldberg’s private parts. Purchasing the DVD will not only allow one to enjoy the motion picture itself, but also other special features available only on the disc. A lengthy interview with Julie Delpy discussing her experiences on the set, and the relationship between the two main characters, is an interesting bonus feature. Another exciting element of the DVD is the opportunity to watch multiple scenes that were edited out of the theatre release. 2 Days In Paris is a great take on romantic comedy, and its DVD release should be more popular than its lousy opening weekend at the box office.
Take Two and Call Me In The Morning
Vitamin X @ The Death Trap 2/11/08
8/10
by Roger Chao
On a blistering cold Monday night, Buffalo and Amsterdam came together in a tiny basement on 29 Custer Street. Vitamin X, a hardcore punk band from the Netherlands, came all the way from across the pond to play to a packed crowd. It’s been four years since their last visit to the United States, and it was obvious that their return was long anticipated, as the basement eventually began to feel like a sardine tin.
From early on, it was clear that main goal of the night was to get as rowdy as possible. Everyone who showed up had only one thing on their minds: listening to punk rock. The old, cracked walls of the house were strewn with random graffiti and band stickers. It provided the perfect backdrop for what was about to go down that night.
The show was kicked off by Jeff Gillooly, a four-piece hardcore punk band. Without an introduction, they quickly tore into their set and didn’t take the time to stop between any of their songs. While their intentions and heart were set in the right place, the music came off messy and unclear. The drumming was drowned out by the muddled noise coming from the guitar amps, and it just seemed the drummer and the guitarist never quite synched up. Following their set was Everything Falls Apart, Buffalo’s native son. Their fast, yet somewhat melodic, thrash sound whipped the audience into a frenzy, as people finally began to move around.
Syracuse hardcore legend Black SS was scheduled to play next, but never made it to the show due to vehicle troubles. As everyone stood around waiting for Vitamin X to set up, I began to worry that the crowd would lose their momentum. My doubt was soon discarded when Vitamin X hit their opening chord and the crowd erupted like a rock ‘n’ roll volcano. It was a mad house; people were screaming, laughing, and hanging from the vent shafts. The tiny basement became a human blender as bodies continuously slammed into one another. Vitamin X’s unique sound resembles earlier hardcore bands like that of Negative Approach and Void, and since their inception in 1998, has put out numerous records. Yet, they show no signs of slowing down as they promised a new record soon and even performed a new song, a politically-driven tune fittingly called “You Suck.” The band also joked about coming back to Western New York. “Ahh Buffalo,” singer Marko exclaimed, “Just when I thought I finally got out…you pull me right back in!” When they chose to close with the Black Flag cover “Gimme Gimme Gimme,” I promptly put down my camera and proceeded to lose my mind along with everyone else.
Vitamin X, for a band that’s nine years old, put one of the most energetic performances I have seen in a long time. For those jaded critics who say punk and hardcore died in the ‘80s, I suggest a good dose of Vitamin X immediately.
