INSIDE BEATTHE WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE OF THE DAILY TARGUM

NO

VEM

BER

3, 2

011

• VO

L. 2

9, N

O. 1

9

BATTLEFIELD 3 • IN TIME • JUSTICE • FALL MAKEUP • THE THREE MUSKETEERS • BOYZ II MEN

Brains, Blood and

SupernaturalTelevision

SupernaturalTelevision

Other Bodily Fluids

November 3, 2011Page 2 • Inside Beat

EDITOR’S RANT

Maggie BlahaMike Bither

Joseph BrownJessica Espinosa

Deanna HendricksSaskia Kusnecov

Gianna MoscatelloLisa-Anna Migliore

Jason Pearl

FREDDIE MORGAN............................................................................TV EDITOR

EMILY GABRIELE.......................................................................MUSIC EDITOR

HEATHER TEDESCO................................................................THEATER EDITOR

ZOË SZATHMARY....................................................................FASHION EDITOR

JILLIAN PASON..........................................................................COPY EDITOR

KEITH FREEMAN.........................................................................PHOTO EDITOR

ALEX NATANZON............................................................................FILM EDITOR

DIANA CHOLANKERIL...............................................................ONLINE EDITOR

RYAN SURUJNATH...........................................................VIDEO GAMES EDITOR

E D I T O R I A L B O A R D

Rutgers Student Center126 College Avenue, Suite 431

New Brunswick, NJ 08901Phone (732) 932-2013

Fax (732) 246-7299Email beat@dailytargum.com Web www.inside-beat.com

Advertising in Inside Beat, Call (732) 932-7051Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

INSIDEBEATTHIS WEEK’S

CONTRIBUTORS TO

INSIDE BEAT :

ZOË SZATHMARY....................................................EDITOR

RYAN SURUJNATH.....................................................ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ASHLEY PARK...................................................ASSISTANT EDITOR

Cover Photo Courtesy of amc.com

RETHINK REMAKES

BY ALEX NATANZONFILM EDITOR

In today’s day and age it is be-ginning to seem that Hollywoodfilm writers are taking a long va-cation. Or they may be just expe-riencing a very horrible case ofwriter’s block. Whatever the rea-son, it is screamingly clear thattruckloads of films are constantlybeing remade as if Hollywood hasreached a collective agreementthat classics aren’t good enoughanymore. While in some cases re-makes can be good, we are usu-ally opposed to the idea of ourfavorite, acclaimed pictures beingredone. For example, we wouldn’tlook too kindly on someone re-

making One Flew over theCuckoo’s Nest or To Kill a Mock-ingbird. These movies are classicsthat showcase the brilliance thatcan be achieved in filmmaking.

However, the idea of a remakeremains intriguing. It draws us inand captivates our attention. To seehow a picture can turn out with adifferent cast and entirely new spe-cial effects is a definite pull factor.Films with lots of sequels are theones being redone the most. See-ing a modernized version of our fa-vorite character in a new filmscenario isn’t all too bad. But spe-cific films, by themselves, that areconsidered masterpieces are anentirely different story. If one wereto take an exceptional film like

Pulp Fiction, which is one QuentinTarantino’s cinematic works of artand remake it, it would be thesame as somebody rewriting aMark Twain novel, titling it thesame, and trying to pass it off as alegitimate reconstruction.

Of course, there are obviousexceptions to this. The Coenbrothers’ True Grit was a brilliantmovie, but it wasn’t as much a re-make of the 1969 film, starringJohn Wayne, as it was a morefaithful adaptation of the novel.It’s clear that horror films are thebest to remake because they usu-ally are popular not so much forthe plot (we instead focus on therelentless killings and gruesomeattacks) but for the main charac-

ter. That’s why movies like ANightmare on Elm Street, Fridaythe 13th, Halloween and The TexasChainsaw Massacre series havebeen remade again and again.The original pictures were neverreally lauded as “fine pieces ofcinema,” so a remake gives film-makers an opportunity to whollyrecreate a cool villain.

This being said, it seems like aslap in the face when good filmsare being remade, which are al-most always worse than their orig-inal counterparts. There was noreason to remake John Carpen-ter’s 1982 classic, The Thing. The2011 counterpart relies heavily onspecial effects and completelymisses the aesthetic beauty and

chilling plot of the original. Withall the remakes of films that aren’tthat old in the first place, it seemslike Hollywood writers are justrunning out of ides. We get it: theythink that a version of Footloosewith modern music and dancing isa nifty idea. How about just re-specting the original and writing afresh plot for a new film? Somemay call a remake a filmmaker’sappreciation of a great movie,(which may be the case for few),but do we really need to see a re-make of the celebrated Swedishversion of The Girl with theDragon Tattoo? Are subtitles sohard to read? It won’t be long untilwe start seeing remakes of TheHangover or Billy Madison.

BY DEANNA HENDRICKS

STAFF WRITER

As the weather cools down, we must change our color palettes to best fit the autumnal mood. It’s time to reorganize your makeup kit and rotate out summery shades of ceruleanand petal pinks for earthier and darker tones. This season there are several posh looks that capture the autumn vibe.

Sometimes the key to makeup is to appear as if you have none on! The natural look requires a foundation that matches your skin complexion, a neutral eye-shadow, mascara to enhance the eyes and blush to accentuate the cheeks. For the lips, use a nude lip-gloss or lipstick.

The ever-so-mysterious smokey eye has always been one of the most desired looks. However, this fall it has been spiced up with new col-ors, such as burgundy and green, that offer a fresh change from typical blacks and greys.

Lips with color this fall are focused on contradiction. The aim is to have a distinct contrast between skin complexion and lip color. In order to do that, there’sno other way to go then bold. Darker skin types should lean towards the pinks while lighter skin types can venture for the reds and magentas. Let out yourinner femme fatale.

While these are just a few fabulous looks for this colorful time, remember that makeup is art. As makeup Nang Ei Ei Mon once noted, “Makeup is simply an extension of the per-sonality. It takes skills to know how to enhance your own beauty, creativity to play with colors and confidence to express yourself. It’s a real thing.”

November 3, 2011 Inside Beat • Page 3

FASHION

BROAD-SHOULDERED GALS

F a c e s F i t f o r F a l lF a c e s F i t f o r F a l l

BY MAGGIE BLAHASTAFF WRITER

The fall collections from designers like Miu Miu and MichaelKors were clearly inspired by the V-shaped silhouettes andbroad, padded shoulders of the 1940s. During this period, theSecond World War limited the amount and types of fabric de-signers could use. Designs often included more masculine sil-houettes that were reminiscent of American military uniforms,in an effort to encourage patriotism.

Miu Miu’s collection recreates the popular styles of the pe-riod without fabric limitation The plain and floral embroideredfabrics, broad shoulders, short and tailored jackets, pantsuits and Peter Pan collars really capture the spirit of the decade. Awoman in a short-jacket dress suit can be Rosalind Russell inHis Girl Friday by day and sexily swinging in a flowing swingskirt with a USO officer by night.

A touch of mink in coats and jackets also alludes to the ele-gance of the 1940s. For example, Akris topped a camel-haircoat with a mink collar to give it real Hollywood bombshellglamour. A Michael Kors or J. Mendel fur coat will providewarmth on those late-night strolls as they did down the mistystreets of 1940s New York.

AU NATURALE

HARVEST SEASON SMOKE

BOLD LIPS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STYLE.COM

COU

RTESY OF N

ANCYHAN

COCK.CO

M

COU

RTESY OF FASHIO

N-ALLU

RE.COM

COU

RTESY OF STYLELIST.CO

M

November 3, 2011Page 4• Inside Beat

THEATER

BY ALEX NATANZONFILM EDITOR

Revivals are not necessarilybad. In the case of the 2011 Broad-way rewrite of the classic musicalAnything Goes, this is screaminglyobvious. Produced by the Round-about Theatre Company and di-rected/choreographed byKathleen Marshall, this new re-vival is a solid piece of Broadwaygold with impressive sets, greatsongs by the legendary ColePorter, enticing dance numbersand, best yet, tons of cheek-hurt-ing comedic moments.

Colin Donnell plays BillyCrocker, a young, handsomeand promising stockbroker,working for a powerful NewYork businessman, Elisha Wit-ney, played by John McMartin.When Billy learns that the girlof his dreams Hope Harcourt(Laura Osnes) will depart onthe cruise liner S.S. American(the same vessel that his boss isgoing on), Billy manages tosneak on board. He quicklyfinds out that Hope is to be en-gaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh(Adam Godley) and he becomesadamant on stopping the mar-riage before it’s too late. Withthe help of his friends, the gor-geous singer Reno Sweeney(Sutton Foster) and the hilari-ous gangster Moonface Martin(Joel Grey) Billy devises a planto win Hope over.

Anything Goes is a good oldfashioned, glamorous Broad-

Anything GoesKathleen Marshall | A-

COURTESY OF BONEAUBRYANBROWN.COM

Heroes – During its spectacular first season, Heroes detailedthe genesis of super-humans and the challenges they faced in areal-world setting. While the second and third seasons lan-guished both in ratings and quality, season four managed to re-capture some of Heroes’ former excellence. A game-changing plottwist in the last episode’s final moments would have been thespark that reignited the show’s initial intrigue, but unfortunatelydecreased viewership had become Heroes’ kryptonite.

— Jason Pearl

Pushing Daisies – Isn’t it true that the most unique showsnever make the cut? Bryan Fuller told the tale of a pie makernamed Ned with the power to reanimate the dead. Touted as aforensic fable, Pushing Daisies was known for its unique visualstyle, quirky characters, and unparalleled plot. Unfortunately, itsdownfall was inevitable, as the diverse cast could not competewith the excess of policemen and doctors on the air. Not even thepie maker could revive the series for a third season.

— Freddie Morgan

Firefly – Commended as Joss Whedon’s best work, Firefly pro-vided a playful mix of sci-fi action with brilliant writing that min-gled well with complex characters and outstanding acting. Fireflycould achieve 5 million viewers on a bad night, and easily doublethat on a good. Unfortunately, the show fell subject to the Fridaynight death slot, and was axed after one season. A dedicated fanbase finally pushed the writers for a movie, and DVD sales haveallowed that fan base to rapidly expand, but Firefly would nevergenerate enough buzz for a second season.

— Freddie Morgan

The editorscomment:

Our favorite supernatural shows that ended too soon

way spectacular. The dancenumbers are choreographedbrilliantly and the songs arecatchy. Numbers like “AnythingGoes” and “Blow, Gabriel, Blow”are testaments to the magic ofthe musical. While the plot ofthe show is predictable and evencorny at times, the comedic mo-ments make up for this. FromMoonface Martin trying tosneak on to the ship dressed asa missionary to Lord EvelynOakleigh eagerly attempting tocopy American slang, AnythingGoes is full of hilarity.

The impressive cast of actorsreally makes this a top-notch mu-sical. Sutton Foster does an amaz-ing job of playing the sexy yettough Reno Sweeney. It is safe tosay that she pretty much stealsthe show. Broadway veteran JoelGrey embodies the goofy gang-ster, serving as a comedy machinefor the play. The only bland char-acter in the show however is HopeHarcourt. This may not be thefault of Laura Osnes, as she singswonderfully, but more so the char-acter herself, who seems a tadhard to fully sympathize with.

Anything Goes is a musical forall types of fans of all ages. Thosenew to theatre will love thecomedic moments and pizzazz ofthe show, while frequent theater-goers will surely appreciate thecomplex sets and the talent. Theplay makes for a spectacularly funtime and mustn’t be missed byanyone who wishes to have theirsocks blown off.

November 3, 2011 Inside Beat • Page 5

VIDEOGAMES

BY RYAN SURUJNATHASSOCIATE EDITOR

With the end of October comesthe beginning of this year’s war ofthe modern-era FPS. Battlefield 3is the first title of this heavyweightshooter bout and is the successorto one of the earliest and most suc-cessful modern war games.

Battlefield 3’s narrative takes anapproach that some may recognizefrom Call of Duty: Black Ops. Play-ers adopt the role of SergeantJames Blackburn, who recounts aglobe-spanning operation as his su-perior officer interrogates him.Whereas Battlefield: Bad Companyadopted a refreshingly humorous

BY JASON PEARLSTAFF WRITER

In Kirby’s Return to DreamLand for the Nintendo Wii, the tit-ular pink puffball makes his firstconsole platformer appearancewith his trademark Copy Abilitiessince 2000’s Kirby 64: The CrystalShards. Short on content, butstrong in classic, traditional game-play, Return to Dream Land is awelcome addition to the recentlymisguided Kirby franchise.

After an alien ship crash landson Kirby’s home of Planet Pop Star,the coral-colored combatant andhis compatriots (Meta Knight,King Dedede and Waddle Dee)volunteer to brave the harrowingdangers of their candy-coatedworld to retrieve the broke piecesof the extraterrestrial’s vessel.Most of Kirby’s usual enemies,from Blade Knights to WaddleDoos populate Pop Star, and arejoined by a few more providingnew Copy Abilities like Whip andSpear, both of which are amongthe most entertaining in the game.Another new feature of Return toDream Land is the addition ofSuper Abilities: screen-filling yettime-constrained special powersthat cause massive damage and un-cover hidden areas of the stage. Ofcourse, Return to Dream Land’sreal draw is the four player drop-

Kirby’s Returnto Dreamland

HAL Laboratory | B-

BATTLEFIELD 3DICE | B+

COURTESY OF GAMESPOT.COM

COURTESY OF GAMESPOT.COM

in/drop-out co-op, with which play-ers can use all four playable char-acters or a team made up of onlyKirbys. While this feature soundsgreat on paper, any player notusing Kirby is at a severe disad-vantage, as only Kirby can inhaleenemies to gain Copy Abilities.

Return to Dream Land’s game-play is deceptively complex. Thegame is played with a sideways-held Wii Remote, with only fourface buttons and a control padused in combat. However, eachCopy Ability is much more variedin this game compared to other en-tries in the franchise, and insteadof one attack per power, playerscan perform multiple moves de-pending on position and direc-tional inputs. Unfortunately,players won’t get a lot of mileageout of these powers, as abilities areeasily lost and must be switchedout often. Especially in the secondhalf of the game, Kirby is practi-cally forced to the point of hyper-ventilation with the amount ofinhaling and exhaling required toreach the end of each level.

All in all, while it’s great tosee a return to core Kirby game-play mechanics, the brevity ofthe game along with its lack of in-novation prevent Kirby’s Returnto Dream Land from reachingthe classic status of Kirby’s Ad-venture or Kirby 64.

tone, Battlefield 3 takes a decidedlymore serious approach. The narra-tive seems to use all the stereo-types of the modern war story byweaving a plot involving terroristsin the Middle East, stolen WMDsand Russian Spetznaz operatives.Coupled with robotic characters,the single-player story feels stale.More importantly, however, it ishorribly linear and one-dimen-sional; there are hardly any vehiclesegments, enemies tend to be un-realistically reckless and levels arelittered with an irritating amount ofquick time events.

Despite a limp campaign, Bat-tlefield 3’s main draw is the com-petitive multiplayer that,

fortunately, is everything the singleplayer isn’t. The game sticks to thefranchise’s strengths that were es-tablished back with Battlefield 2and refines some of the elementspresent from the Bad Companygames. Battlefield 3 is optimized forthe PC as opposed to consoles, sothose who possess capable systemswill be able to enjoy 64-person mul-tiplayer mayhem, while PS3 and360 owners will have to make dowith 24-player matches.

Open-endedness is a centraltenant to Battlefield 3’s gameplay;it offers to players different op-tions as to how they want to play.The franchise's classic Conquestmode makes a return, in which

players are tasked with capturingcommand points while simultane-ously defeating enemies to whittledown the opposing team’s rein-forcement count. The nature ofthis game mode allows for severaldifferent ways a player can helphis or her team. In addition, Bat-tlefield 3 features a wide array ofvehicles that players can comman-deer at any time, varying fromJeeps to main battle tanks andeven jet fighters. Players who donot necessarily have the greatestFPS skills will undoubtedly findsatisfaction in an armored vehicle.The game’s sky-high dogfights inparticular are gratifying and tense.

Teamwork is another notable

idea that Battlefield 3 attempts topush across. Players are encour-aged to work together with a smallsquad, and the game offers re-wards to those who work as a unit.For example, in addition to earn-ing points for kills and kill assists,players can earn a nice bonus forlaying down suppressing fire so anally can move in for a kill. Ofcourse, vehicles are also more ef-fective when more than one per-son operates them.

Battlefield 3 suf fers from aflat single player-campaign, how-ever the multiplayer of fers oneof the finest online experience todate. This is reason enough tobuy the game.

Historians are unsure whether speculative fiction is meant to detract the public fromtheir bleak lives at home and escape to another world, or whether it is meant to commenton society. In the ‘50s, we saw a prevalence of science fiction films during the Cold War. Mo-tion pictures like The Blob and Invasion of the Body Snatchers depicted an unknown or ex-traterrestrial being invading humans’ minds and desecrating our lives. Could these themeshave been allusions to communism?

If these movies and shows are meant to exist as commentary, then what are they try-ing to discuss about society now? There have been a handful of vampire TV shows in the

last few years alone that have been growing in popularity, especially with youth culture.After the emergence of the Twilight saga, HBO released True Blood, and teen channelThe CW sanctioned the release of two other shows with themes of witchcraft: The Vam-pire Diaries and, new this season, The Secret Circle. Similarly, we have seen a growingnumber of shows and films based upon or akin to graphic novels, including AMC’s TheWalking Dead, which existed originally as a graphic novel by Robert Kirkman, and FX’sAmerican Horror Story, whose premise is obviously derivative of horror stories and comicbooks like Kirkman’s Walking Dead, even if Glee’s Ryan Murphy has smeared his sugary

stamp across the production’s name.Several programs this season on tele-

vision provide a darker, edgier perspec-tive to classic fairy tales. Meant to bendthe perception of reality, these shows willmake you question whether it’s all in theirhead or really happening. Grimm, set inpresent-day Portland, puts a new spin onthe stories of the Brothers Grimm inwhich a homicide detective learns that he

SpeculativeFiction...

SpeculativeFiction...

Speculative fiction in television is cropping up everywhere. Across theglobe, people are fixated with paranormal behavior, horror fiction and al-ternate worlds. There have been countless superhero and vampire films andgory television shows emerging in the last few years. Of the 28 new tele-vision shows released this season on primetime television alone, 6 of theshows have sci-fi or fantastical themes. But why is this so? Read on as In-side Beat takes you on a journey to another planet.

By Freddie Morgan, TV Editor

True Blood, HBO, Sundays

Once Upon a Time, ABC, Sundays at 8pm

COURTESY OF ABC.COM

COURTESY OF AOLTV.COM

is a descendant of a group of hunters known as “Grimms,”who fight to keep humanity safe from supernatural crea-tures in the world. Once Upon a Time has a similar con-cept. Jennifer Morrison (House) stars as a woman who isapproached by a ten-year-old boy claiming to be her son.Where he is from, time has frozen and the residents of thetown are fairy tale characters that have forgotten who theyreally are. Are recent productions that make you questionreality (Inception) meant to mirror society’s disillusion-ment, just as films did during the Vietnam War, or is thatreading too deeply into it?

Perhaps these shows are simply catering to the “geek”market that’s recently been formed. It started with TheBig Bang Theory, but let’s be honest, geeks are more intoalternate realities than watching a program that mimicstheir own. Who isn’t? Geeks like dinosaurs, parallel uni-verses, and the prospect of playing with their place in timeand space. Terra Nova was the most anticipated show ofthe season, thanks to Spielberg’s seal of approval. Theshow follows one family as they travel 85 million years intothe past in order to save humanity.

Professors of media assert that art mirrors society, thatThe Blob who invaded American homes really representedsocialistic ideas infiltrating otherwise sane minds andbrainwashing innocent American citizens. But could it bethat the reverse is true, as well? If society mirrors art, TheBlob, then, represented merely a horrible otherworldthing, and because of what was going on in history, wepurely determined that there was an allegorical meaningto the otherwise simple-minded plot. It’s a chicken-or-the-

egg case; whichcame first?

It is hard tolook reflectivelyon history as itis happening inthe present. It’salso difficult toattribute a rea-son behind thegrowing popu-larity of specula-tive fiction. Butwhen we lookback ten yearsfrom now, whatwill we deter-mine? Are wemaking state-ments aboutwhat’s going onin society? Arewe escapingfrom our dismallives to anotherworld so unfa-miliar to ourown? Or, are wesimply givingthe geeks whatthey’ve long de-sired: ghosts,gore, and timet r a v e l i n g ?These ques-tions may notbe able to be an-swered, but atleast we’re get-ting good TVout of the deal.

American Horror Story, FX, Sundays at 10pm

s at 9pm (season has not yet started)

The Walking Dead, AMC, Sundays at 9pm

COURTESY OF FX.COM

COURTESY OF NEWSOK.COM

November 3, 2011Page 8• Inside Beat

FILM

BY JESSICA ESPINOSASTAFF WRITER

In the futuristic world of In Time,the currency is not money, but timeitself. The people in this world areborn with a clock imprinted on theirarms, which will start ticking oncethey turn 25. At that moment, it issurvival of the fittest. Though noneage past 25, the poor tend to dieyoung while the rich, with all thetime in the world, have the closestthing to immortality.

Will Salas (Justin Timberlake,Friends with Benefits) lives in thepoorest time zone where peoplefight and kill just to get a few moreminutes on their clocks. Salasworks at a crowded factory, just toreceive a measly payment of a cou-ple of hours. Unexpected eventslead Salas to not only receive a cen-tury of time on his clock, but to alsobe accused of murder. This causesthe Time Keepers, the policemenof the future, to chase after him.Unfortunately, one of the TimeKeepers, Raymond Leon CillianMurphy (Inception) has no charac-ter development whatsoever. Thisis disappointing because Murphyhas done so much great work inthe past.

Salas soon learns that, “For afew to live forever, many must die.”The idea infuriates him; he subse-

In TimeAndrew Niccol | C+

COURTESY OF ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM

Fantasy FictionT.V. Schedule

SCI-FIFringe on FOX, Fridays at 9 p.m.

New this season:Terra Nova on FOX, Mondays at 8 p.m.

FANTASYSupernatural on The CW, Fridays at 9 p.m

The Vampire Diaries on The CW, Thursdays at 8 p.m.

The Walking Dead on AMC, Sundays at 9 p.m.

True Blood on HBO, Sundays at 9 p.m. (season has not yet started)

Game of Thrones on HBO, season has not yet started

New this season:

A Gifted Man on CBS, Fridays at 8 p.m.

The Secret Circle on The CW, Thursdays at 9 p.m.

Once Upon a Time on ABC, Sundays at 8 p.m.

American Horror Story on FX, Sundays at 10 p.m.

Grimm on NBC, Fridays at 9 p.m.

COURTESY OF MAKINGGAMEOFTHRONES.COM

quently becomes a modern RobinHood-type character and stealsfrom the rich and gives to the poor.Salas is truly an idealist. He’s reck-less and just goes with the flow ofthings, causing multiple problems.

There are three things neededto make a film succeed: a uniqueconcept, good writing and, ofcourse, the talented actors thatcarry the movie with excellent linedelivery. In Time has two of thethree; the script just isn’t up to par.The cast, however, does a wonder-ful job overall in terms of individualperformances, such as AmandaSeyfried (Mean Girls), who playsSylvia Weis, the daughter of a pow-erful businessman and Salas’ part-ner-in-crime. Yet despite suchperformances, the script is tooweak to maintain the audience’s at-tention all the way through. Thelines are at times cheesy, and theending itself is too “Hollywood.”

With a quality script, In Timecould have better engaged withviewers emotionally. Timberlake’s abelievable leading man, thoughSeyfried has her edgy moments. An-drew Niccol, who both wrote and di-rected, clearly excelled at the latter.

In Time is entertaining enoughwith the Bonnie and Clyde ideamixed into a sci-fi fantasy, but itwon’t be winning awards for bestmovie of the year.

November 3, 2011 Inside Beat • Page 9

FILM

BY SASKIA KUSNECOVSTAFF WRITER

Co-written by artist SalvadorDali and revolutionary Spansihfilmmaker Luis Buñuel, the 1930film L'Âge d'or (The Golden Age)gives audiences a tour throughthe unexplored regions of surreal-ist cinema.

The Golden Age is made up ofeight vignettes, beginning with ashort clip from a science docu-mentary about a scorpion. It de-scribes the scorpion’s socialhabits, as it moves in and out of itsburrow, ravaging interloper in-sects and picking fight with largermammals. The footage of the scor-pion sets up the seclusion andvolatile anger of the main charac-ter, “The Man,” as he lashes outagainst the bourgeois society ofImperial Rome and the CatholicChurch because they forbid hislove with a high society girl.

Much of the film is character-ized — in true surrealist style —by shocking events and phenom-

BY LISA-ANNA MIGLIORESTAFF WRITER

In his newest picture, TheThree Musketeers, director PaulW.S. Anderson takes a stab atthe swashbuckler blockbusterbut inadvertently creates a filmthat looks more like a parody ofthe genre. With stock charac-ters and a musical score thatclearly echoes those of popfilms like Pirates of theCaribbean and Sherlock Holmes,the film’s melodramatic actingand ef fects tr y too hard tomimic these predecessors.

The Three Musketeers beginswith French swordsmen Athos(Matthew MacFadyen,Frost/Nixon), Aramis (LukeEvans, Clash of the Titans) andPorthos (Ray Stevenson, Rome)who, after a turn of misfortune,have all but given up on servingtheir country. This changeswhen they cross paths withD’Artagnan (Logan Lerman,Percy Jackson & the Olympians:The Lightning Thief), a farm boywhose fiery temper parallels hisskillful swordsmanship. Thequartet soon befriends theyoung King Louis XIII (FreddieFox), whose naivety blinds himto the fact that his friend Cardi-nal Richelieu (ChristopherWaltz, Inglourious Basterds) isplanning to overthrow him withAthos’ ex-lover Milady de Win-ter (Milla Jovovich, ResidentEvil). With the help of their newcomrade and inspirational creed,“One for all and all for one,” thethree musketeers attempt to de-feat the beautiful double agentde Winter, her equally pretty in-amorato (Orlando Bloom) andher crooked employer; to pre-

The Three MuskateersPaul W.S. Anderson | C+

L ’Âge d’or

(The Golden Age)

COURTESY OF ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM

COURTESY OF TOUTLECINE.COM

ena. For example, in one scene, agroup of people come to mournthe skeletons of the Majorcan is-land natives, and as the priest iscommemorating the men, TheMan and his lover are engaging ina loud, passionate embrace on theground. The juxtaposition of thetwo events coincides withBuñuel’s theme of rebellionagainst the Catholic Church.

The film’s script is minimal;surrealist cinema puts a heavieremphasis on visual stimuli. Whatlittle script there is, though, alsoaims to reject dramatic psychol-ogy. Instead, it uses mundanestatements and illogical phrases tooffset the bewildering imagery.This verbal imagery also resem-bles something that might be in-cluded in a Dali painting.

Leading up to the final vignette,the content becomes sexualizedand angry, with a wealth of reli-gious imagery and apparent mi-sogyny.. This build-up is explainedin the final vignette, an explanationof “The 120 Days of Depraved

Acts,” itself a reference to the Mar-quis de Sade’s highly graphicnovel, 120 Days of Sodom. A manwho highly resembles JesusChrist leaves the cave as a “sur-vivor” of the 120 days, and the finalimage cuts to the scalps of womenflapping on a crucifix, solidifyingthe religious and oppressive im-agery Buñuel has been employ-ing.

The best way to digest TheGolden Age is to take it like onewould a Dali painting. The pur-pose of this film is structured bythe written narratives as opposedto dialogue, differentiating it fromsome of Buñuel’s other surrealistworks, which often do not evenhave a plot. It is nothing short ofexperimental cinema. The GoldenAge can easily be taken as a bril-liant work of art for its surrealistdesign and can be enjoyed easilyfor anyone interested in the artistsof 1930s Paris. Yet if you’re look-ing for a light, entertaining foreignfilm, stay away from anything thatDali or Buñuel have touched.

vent them from seizing theFrench throne and engulfing Eu-rope in war.

Parody films like Mel Brooks’Robin Hood: Men in Tights have titlesthat warn the viewer as to their lim-ited priority on staying authentic tothe original story. Viewers who ex-pect a faithful adaptation of Alexan-dre Dumas’s novel will get anawkward film that wavers between asemi-faithful remake at certain timesand a comedic spoof at others.

The few moments of originalcomedy in the film are what saveit. One of the highlights can beseen in English actor James Cor-den. Corden plays the small role ofPlanchet, an innocent and lovableservant of the musketeers. Play-fully ridiculed by his superiors,Planchet remains a loyal helperwho is ready to lay his life on theline for them (especially whenwine and food are involved). Al-though a lot of the scenes in thefilm are comical for their overdra-matic nature, Plancet’s witty dia-logue serves as a refreshing tonic.

While Anderson’s 2011 filmadaptation claims to be an action ad-venture, it comes off as a comedicmelodrama. The plot follows a fool-proof formula in which the sourcematerial has proven effective forages: gifted sword-fighting protago-nists who never die, a mushy ro-mance between a poor man and awealthy woman that defies all odds,superfluous explosions, wittydrunkards and a villain with a black,curly mustache epitomize a swash-buckler film. Consequently the dia-logue, acting and mise-en-scenecome off as extremely corny andbanal. Some viewers may gravitatetowards the predictability, but ifyou’re looking for something fresh,look elsewhere.

Men have always had an irre-sistible quality, especially in thiscompilation-styled ef fort. Theylet their smooth lyrics and catchybaselines infiltrate the listener’sbody to make them move,groove and get them in the

mood. It is “So Amazing”how the nostalgic groupseems to always ef fort-lessly “Flow” together inperfect harmony — es-pecially on the album’sfirst single, “More ThanYou'll Ever Know” fea-turing Charlie Wilson.

It might seem that this soundof music is no longer current, but“Believe” that Boyz II Men hasundoubtedly brought the NewJack Swing-vibe to a new genera-tion. This two-disc set makes lis-teners hard-pressed to find a songthat does not clearly represent anemotion-filled experience. This isa can’t-miss release for long-timefans of the group. As for the newlisteners, Twenty serves as a suf-ficient way to catch-up with thetalent of a nostalgic R&B trio.

is culled straight from prog,disco and rock sounds of the’70s. “New Lands” could be anAC/DC cover, while “On’n’On”rehashes Led Zeppelin’s “Kash-mir” for the electronic era. Therather drastic aesthetic changedoes not suit Justice particularlywell, nor does the increasedpresence of vocal collaborators.The melodies and synth hooksare, like prog, technically so-phisticated and a chore to enjoyor remember. There is nothingon the album that can match the

harsh aggression andstaying power of any-thing from the debut.

In reference to thegroup’s distinct stylisticchange, Audio, Video,Disco is, according Jus-tice’s Xavier de Rosnay,“daytime music” in con-

trast with the duo’s darker debutalbum. However, it is the brashdarkness that originally set Justiceapart from the ever-deepening poolof increasingly repetitive houseacts. The group’s willingness tochange is respectable, but ulti-mately incompatible to itsstrengths. The heavy aggression ofCross is the sound that does andshould define Justice, and the duoneeds to find a way to recapturethat assertiveness.

November 3, 2011Page 10 • Inside Beat

MUSIC

BOYZ II MENBOYZ II MENTwenty | B+

Audio, Video, Disco | CJ u s t i c e

BY MIKE BITHERSTAFF WRITER

French DJ duo Justice brokeonto the electro house scene in2005 with the release of their debutsingle, “Waters of Nazareth.” Thesong’s aggressive feel and dark,distorted synths created an imme-diately recognizable sound thatlaid the foundations for the group’scritically-acclaimed 2007 full-lengthdebut, Cross. The album marked anew and heavier direction for elec-tronic music and established Jus-tice as the naturalforerunners in theprominent French housemovement. Frequentlycompared to fellowcountrymen ThomasBangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk,Justice seems to have embracedthis likeness with the release ofAudio, Video, Disco. Distinctlysofter and lighter in sound, thealbum is a notable departure fromthe harshness of their debut.

The music of Justice’s sopho-more ef fort is heavily indebtedto progressive rock, consideringthe prevalence of both rock in-strumentation and arena bom-bast. Under the guise of housemusic, much of the duo’s output

BY JOSEPH BROWN

STAFF WRITER

Boyz II Men appease loyalfans with their newest album re-lease, Twenty. The record com-memorates 20 lucrative yearsfor the powerhouseR&B group. Bestknown for soulful har-monies, the group fi-nally releaseed brandnew tracks — some-thing they haven’tdone since their 2002album, Full Circle.They also showcase remasteredversions of classic hits such as“Motown Philly,” “BendedKnee” and “End of the Road.”Comprised of Nathan Morris,Wanya Morris and ShawnStockman, the trio clearlydemonstrates how traditionalR&B love songs are still a viablegenre, even after two decades ofmaking solid contributions tothe industry.

By staying true to their rootsthroughout their career, Boyz II

COURTESY OF POLITIKEN.DK

COURTESY OF BOYSIIMEN.COM

DAILYTARGUMSINCE1869

November 3, 2011 Inside Beat • Page 11

MUSIC

BY GIANNA MOSCATELLO

STAFF WRITER

When Coldplay’s fifth album was first announced,there was a lot of speculation about what the album’stitle, Mylo Xyloto, meant — it was later revealed thatit holds no actual meaning. The band decided to titlethe new album in such a cryptic way because its mem-bers wanted to expand their style and didn’t want peo-ple to have any predispositions about what their newrecord would sound like. While the title may be origi-nal, the album doesn’t quite live up to its name. In fact,it’s far from sounding like something completely new;it’s just new territory for Coldplay.

Inspired by 1970s New York Graffiti and the WhiteRose Nazi-resistance movement, the band decidedthat their new musical direction would be toward amore uplifting and inspired sound. The downside tothis change lay in how they abandoned their more mu-sically eclectic and progressive approach found onViva La Vida. Instead, tracks on Mylo Xyloto useoverly simplified vocal melodies, unusually trite lyricsand an overuse of synthesized effects, which leads thealbum to sound too cheesy and overdone.

Yet, there are still many redeemable qualities onMylo Xyloto. The melodies are extremely catchy,there’s a vibrant wall of sound effect created throughlush synth and guitar lines and the album’s loose con-cept of “love conquering all” is an inspiring sentiment.There are also a few moments when Coldplay returnsto older, more alternative soft-rock style on tracks like,“Us Against the World” and “Major Minor,” which adda nice variety to what might otherwise be an over-whelming collection of pop-rock anthems. In the end,Mylo Xyloto isn’t Coldplay’s biggest or best achieve-ment, but it definitely stands out and stands its groundin the sea of pop music present today.

Mylo Xyloto | B

C O L D P L A Y

LL OO CC AA LL AA RR TT II SS TTBY DEANNA HENDRICKS

STAFF WRITER

University junior William Dicke is a musician on a mis-sion — to wake up the current generation and get them in-volved in their communities. His means of communicating?Music, naturally. Drums and guitar were the first instru-ments he learned to play by ear, and he has been able tofinely tune his skills by writing his own music. In fact, herecorded three whole albums — his most recent album,Look Outside, was recorded this past summer. The focus ofhis album is to get this generation more involved with mat-ters of the world and less consumed by technology.

Dicke describes his music as a melting pot: “Every songsounds really different. It’s really cool, and that’s what Iwanted to do. People listen to my music and say they‘venever heard of anything like it before.” He grew up listen-ing to Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson, both of whichhave strongly influenced his style.

He performed at the The Cove on Busch campus forcoffeehouse events and plans on continuing his live per-formances around the University’s campuses. Currently,he is working on putting a band together. His future goalsconsist of continuing to write music that he will be proud ofand that will help people “get up and smell the coffee.” Hestated, “This is what an artist’s job is. We are ambassadorsto reality. We’re only here a certain amount of time so weshould spend it enjoying what’s around us and making theworld a better place.”

COURTESY OF FACEBOOK.COM/PAGES/WILL-DICKE

WWIILLLLIIAAMM ““WWIILLLL”” DDIICCKKEEGIVE HIM A

LISTEN @

SOUNDCLOUD.COM/WILL_DICKE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FACEBOOK.COM/COLDPLAY

Barry Zito helped lay downsome guitar on tracks.

Swisher essentiallybuilds the album around thekids, as they sing backupvocals in every song – atouch that allows all ages toenjoy Believe from start tofinish. The switch hitterdedicates a song to his almamater Ohio State titled,“Hang on Sloopy.”

Also included is a songfor Swish’s hometown of

P a r k e r s b u r g ,West Virginia –“Take meHome, CountryRoads,” by JohnD e n v e r .Swisher’s calmand enthrallingvoice through-out each track

gives the album an honestand very excitable ef fort.

The children’s 12-songalbum presents itself in avery uplifting way. Pro-ceeds from Believe go toSwish’s Wishes, a founda-tion for children with healthissues. Even Yankeeshaters can respect whatSwisher is trying to do, sothere is no reason not togive this album a shot.

November 3, 2011Page 12 • Inside Beat

MUSIC

BY NICK CIANCISTAFF WRITER

The always smiling, en-thusiastic and upbeat NewYork Yankees’ rightfielder puts forth a relax-ing yet catchy effort in hisalbum Believe. The WorldSeries Champion and for-mer All-Star puts togetherquite a variety of music onhis debut album. Gettingsome help from some rec-ognizable namesin the music in-dustry, he alsohas some assis-tance from a fewplayers from thebaseball worldas well.

Such widelyacclaimed songson Believe include TomPetty’s “I Won’t BackDown,” Tim McGraw’s“Where the Green GrassGrows,” the Beatles’ “Witha Little Help From MyFriends” and DavidBowie’s “Heroes,” a songthat really defines thealbum. Former New YorkYankees’ centerfielder,Bernie Williams and SanFrancisco Giants pitcher

N I C K S W I S H E RN I C K S W I S H E RBelieve | B

WHAT WE’RELISTENING TO

1. “Sun of a Gun” by OhLand (Jacob Plant Remix)

2. “When the Sun RoseAgain” by Alice in Chains

3. “Major Tom” by ShinyToy Guns

4. “Don’t Stop” by Gin Wig-more

5. “I’m Not Calling You aLiar” by Florence + the Ma-chine

6. “Titanium” by DavidGuetta feat. SIA

COURTESY OF LIDERENDEPORTES.COM